Mr. Sean Charland reports

APEX EXPANDS TRINITY ZONE WITH STEP-OUT HOLE RETURNING 197.5 M INTERVAL OF 2.12% REO AT THE RIFT RARE EARTH PROJECT IN SE NEBRASKA

Apex Critical Metals Corp. has released the assay results from drill holes RIFT26-015 through RIFT26-019 at its strategic 100-per-cent-controlled Rift rare earth project within the Elk Creek carbonatite complex in southeastern Nebraska, United States.

Highlights:

• RIFT26-019 returns 2.12 per cent REO (rare earth oxides) over 197.5 metres, including:
  • 4.60 per cent REO over 5.1 metres;
  • Or 3.15 per cent REO over 12.9 m;
  • Or 2.87 per cent REO over 55.9 m;
• RIFT26-019 extends Trinity zone mineralization approximately 120 m farther downdip to the west (now defined over 300 m), with assays still pending for additional western stepout drill holes;
• RIFT26-016, RIFT26-017 and RIFT26-018 comprise the southernmost drill fence and demonstrate a further 100 m of mineralized north-south strike length returning 1.74 per cent REO over 46.1 m, 1.38 per cent REO over 77.3 m and 2.00 per cent REO over 33.7 m, respectively;
• Additional western stepout drill holes continue to intersect hematite alteration and rock characteristics similar to western mineralized holes reported to date;
• The Trinity zone is now defined over an approximately 500-metre north-south strike length and 300 m downdip (west) with strongly mineralized intervals ranging from 80 to 197 m, which continue to demonstrate strong continuity of high-grade REO mineralization;
• The Trinity zone remains open in all directions.

Sean Charland, chief executive officer of Apex Critical Metals, commented: "The results from western stepout drill hole RIFT26-019 confirms the western plunge of the upper Trinity zone and demonstrates continuity of the high-grade REO mineralization with one of the strongest grade-times-width intervals to date. Assays remain pending for several additional holes further to the west, and the visual observations and favourable geology suggest there's a significant opportunity to expand the mineralized footprint with each western stepout. We have made a tremendous amount of progress over the past 12 months and remain on track for an inaugural mineral resource estimate in Q1 2027."

Key observations and take-aways

Current analytical results targeting the downdip extension of the Trinity zone (RIFT26-019) confirm the extension of the high-grade west-plunging mineralized body an additional 120 m west of previously reported RIFT26-005A, which highlighted 80.0 m at 2.51 per cent REO within a broader interval of 137.2 m at 2.01 per cent REO (see news release dated May 15, 2026). The intercept from drill hole RIFT26-019 includes a high-grade core of 26.9 m at 3.15 per cent REO within a larger intersection of 197.5 m at 2.12 per cent REO. The drill hole confirms the importance of hematite alteration in the mineralized system and provides confidence on the visual indications of drill holes with pending analytical results.

Two additional western stepout drill holes have been completed along the same drill hole fence, with assays pending. Initial visual results show broad intervals with hematite alteration consistent with mineralization of reported results, suggesting a further potential downdip extension of Trinity zone.

Drill holes RIFT26-016, RIFT26-017 and RIFT26-018 form a three-hole drill fence targeting the area 100 m south of the positive results observed in the fence connecting holes RIFT26-019 and RIFT26-003. Analytical results along the southern most drill fence with assays reported highlight 27.1 m of 2.01 per cent REO in a larger 46.1-metre interval at 1.74 per cent REO in RIFT26-016; two distinct intervals of 11.5 m and 12.8 m of 1.86 per cent and 1.89 per cent REO, respectively in RIFT26-017; and 33.7m of 2.00 per cent REO in RIFT26-018. Hematite alteration and visual indication of mineralization manifest less intense over these intervals, when compared with Trinity zone mineralization in the north and west; however, the assay results from this fence contain notable intervals greater than 1.00 per cent REO and extend the footprint of the zone another 100 m to the south.

RIFT26-015 encountered a different carbonatite breccia host rock in this area, which is interpreted to crosscut the primary altered hematite observed throughout most of the Trinity zone. RIFT26-015 still returned 64.4 m of 1.54 per cent REO with select higher-grade intervals within.

To date, 19 of the 34 completed drill holes have analytical results released. Results contained herein continue to highlight significant intervals of less than 4.00 per cent REO within a broader less-than-2.00-per-cent-REO mineralized envelope, together with the positive rock attributes observed to the west demonstrate strong potential of Trinity zone expansion. Trinity zone intercepts have now traced approximately 500 m of north-south strike and 300 m of western downdip extension within the greater 700-metre target corridor. These results reinforce the high-grade mineralization within the Trinity zone.

Program status and next steps

The company has completed additional drill holes designed to further test the extent of mineralization along strike and at depth with assay results pending. Continuing refinement of the 3-D geological model, including integration of assay results as received, will support improved understanding of the mineralized system and help prioritize future drill targeting. The 2026 drill program remains continuing, with a total of 34 drill holes completed to date for approximately 22,000 m, with assays currently pending for 15 drill holes. Drilling is expected to continue through September and October with a single drill rig.

Quality assurance/quality control

All drilling was completed using one truck and one track-mounted diamond drill rigs with HQ-size core and all drill core samples have been or will be shipped to Activation Laboratories Ltd.'s (Actlabs) preparation facility in Ancaster, Ont., for standard sample preparation (code RX1), which includes drying, crushing (less than seven kilograms) up to 80 per cent passing two millimetres, riffle splitting (250 grams) and pulverizing (mild steel) to 95 per cent passing 105 micrometres. The samples were subsequently analyzed using Code 8 by XRF (X-ray fluorescence) Nb2O5 (niobium pentoxide), ZrO2 (zirconium dioxide) and Ta2O5 (tantalum pentoxide) (0.003 per cent), Code 8 -- REE (rare earth element) assay (lithium metaborate/tetraborate fusion with subsequent analysis by ICP and ICP/MS). Drill core was saw cut, with half-core sent for geochemical analysis and half-core remaining in the box on site.

A quality assurance/quality control protocol was incorporated into the program and included the insertion of certified reference material and silica blanks at a rate of approximately 5 per cent and 5 per cent, respectively. Additional analysis of pulp-split and reject-split sample duplicates was also completed at a rate of approximately 5 per cent and 2.5 per cent, respectively, to assess analytical precision at different stages. Actlabs Canada is independent of the company.

Management cautions that the interception of carbonatite and associated hematite alteration is not necessarily indicative of mineralization. Assay results are required to confirm the presence, grade and significance of any mineralization. All intercepts reported in this news release represent core length (apparent width). True widths have not yet been determined.

For more detailed drill result information, including REO calculations and conversions, please visit the company's website.

Qualified person

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Nathan Schmidt, PGeo, a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. Schmidt is a geologist with Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd., the consulting firm engaged by Apex Critical Metals to conduct and oversee all of the company's exploration work, including the 2026 drill program.

Mr. Schmidt has verified all scientific and technical data disclosed in this news release, including the sampling and QA/QC results, and certified analytical data underlying the technical information disclosed. Mr. Schmidt noted no errors or omissions during the data verification process. The company and Mr. Schmidt do not recognize any factors of sampling or recovery that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the assay data disclosed in this news release.

Rare earth oxide (REO) values reported in this news release are calculated as the sum of individual rare earth oxide components and are not directly measured assay results. The individual rare earth oxide values underlying each reported REO grade are available on-line.

About Apex Critical Metals Corp.

Apex Critical Metals is a Canadian exploration company focused on advancing rare earth element (REE) and niobium projects that support the growing demand for critical and strategic metals across the United States and Canada. The company's flagship Rift project, located within the highly prospective Elk Creek carbonatite complex in Nebraska, United States, hosts extensive rare earth rights surrounding one of North America's most advanced niobium deposits. Two historical drill holes located within the 700-metre corridor of interest returned broad intervals of greater than 2.00 per cent REO, with higher-grade (greater than 3.00 per cent REO) intervals within. The company's 2026 drilling has continued to demonstrate this grade profile and have expanded the footprint of the high-grade mineralization (Trinity zone) over approximately 500 m from the historical drill holes to date. Additionally, drilling has delineated a new deeper horizon (Neo zone) of strongly elevated NdPr (neodymium-praseodymium) beneath the high-grade material with NdPr distributions between 30 per cent and 50 per cent. For more information, please see the company's news releases dated April 7, 2026, April 28, 2026, May 6, 2026, and May 15, 2026, which are available under the company's issuer profile on SEDAR+ as well as the company's individual REO component disclosure at the Rift project, which is available on Apex's website.

In Canada, Apex continues to advance its 100-per-cent-owned Cap project, located 85 kilometres northeast of Prince George, B.C. The 2025 drill program confirmed an emerging niobium discovery with 0.59 per cent Nb2O5 over 36 metres, including 1.08 per cent Nb2O5 over 10 metres, within a 1.8-kilometre-long niobium trend. The Cap project continues to demonstrate strong potential for niobium mineralization within a large and previously unrecognized carbonatite system. For more information, please see the company's news releases dated Aug. 27, 2025, Nov. 12, 2025, Dec. 31, 2025, and June 30, 2026, which are available under the company's issuer profile on SEDAR+.

With a growing portfolio of critical mineral projects in both Canada and the United States, Apex Critical Metals is strategically positioned to help strengthen domestic supply chains for the minerals essential to advanced technologies, clean energy and national security. Apex is publicly listed in Canada on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol APXC and quoted on the OTCQX market in the United States under the symbol APXCF, in Germany on the Borse Frankfurt under the symbol KL9 and/or WKN: A40CCQ, and in France on Euronext Access Paris under the symbol MLAPX.

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