American Battery Technology Company (ABTC) has secured US government approval to sell up to $100 million of recycled black mass through an export licence, American Recycler reports. The authorisation comes from the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security following the introduction of federal export controls covering critical battery materials. Sales are permitted under specified terms.
American Recycler describes the approval as a Defense Priorities and Allocation System licence. The $100 million figure represents the value of material authorised for sale, rather than reported completed transactions. The report presents continued access to export sales as support for ABTC’s existing operations and its efforts to commercialise critical mineral recycling technologies, broaden customer engagement and develop an integrated domestic minerals business.
ABTC operates a commercial-scale recycling plant near Reno, Nevada, which started production in 2023. The facility uses technology developed within the company to process end-of-life batteries and manufacturing scrap. Its recovered products include copper, aluminium and steel, alongside lithium-rich intermediate materials and black mass, according to American Recycler.
The black mass contains lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese and graphite. These materials can undergo further refining before returning to the critical minerals supply chain for use in new products. ABTC has previously set out an ambition to support a North American closed-loop economy by recovering, recycling and reusing critical minerals from battery-related feedstocks.
Chief executive Ryan Melsert linked the export approval to the company’s work to scale its existing recycling operation and a second facility supported by $150 million in competitive US Department of Energy grants. He also pointed to ABTC’s fiscal 2026 financial results as evidence of progress in commercialising its technologies. Alongside recycling, the company is pursuing primary resource development as part of its stated strategy to increase domestic critical mineral production and support demand from electrification and energy storage.