Mr. Sean Charland reports

APEX EXTENDS TRINITY ZONE 200 M WITH 3.55% REO OVER 116.0 M AND 2.35% OVER 171.5 M IN WESTERN STEP-OUT DRILLING AT RIFT

Apex Critical Metals Corp. has released the assay results from drill holes RIFT26-020 through RIFT26-024 from its strategic 100-per-cent-controlled Rift rare earth project within the Elk Creek carbonatite complex in southeastern Nebraska, United States.

Sean Charland, chief executive officer of Apex Critical Metals, commented: "The results from western stepout drill holes RIFT26-022 and RIFT26-024 mark an exciting milestone for the project, representing material intersections of greater than 4.00 per cent REO [rare earth oxide] and further validation of the broader mineralized Trinity zone along our primary east-west drill fences. Identifying additional rare earth magnet feedstock beyond the one producer in North America is a national priority in the United States and results from our 2026 drill program at the Rift rare earth project continue to demonstrate a significant grade and scale profile."

To date, the company has had consistent success defining the Trinity zone along two primary east-west drill fences, which currently span approximately 600 metres east-west and 100 metres north-south with continuous mineralization between and beyond the two fences (see news release dated Aug. 12, 2026). Apex is currently prioritizing drilling to the east along these fence lines to define the eastern extent of the Trinity zone ahead of the company's planned mineral resource estimate (MRE) by the end of Q1 2027.

Key observations and take-aways

Current analytical results targeting the downdip extension of the Trinity zone (RIFT26-022 and RIFT26-024) confirm that the high-grade, west-plunging mineralized body extends an additional approximately 200 metres west of previously reported RIFT26-012, which returned 26.0 m at 3.40 per cent REO within a broader interval of 151.4 m at 2.42 per cent REO (see news release dated Aug. 12, 2026).

RIFT26-024 returned two high-grade intervals of 3.99 per cent REO over 18.8 m and 4.75 per cent REO over 22.9 m within a broader 116.0 m interval of 3.55 per cent REO. RIFT26-022 returned a high-grade interval of 4.07 per cent REO over 37.0 m within a broader intersection of 171.5 m at 2.35 per cent REO. Together, these two drill holes demonstrate continuity of the emerging high-grade core within the Trinity zone, which sits within a broader envelope of greater than 2.00 per cent REO mineralization extending between the two holes.

Comparing these results with the drill fence containing RIFT26-019 (see news release dated Sept. 8, 2026) suggests that the mineralization is continuous over the 100 m separating the two drill fences. Results reported herein occur primarily within hematite-altered carbonatite, further validating the importance of hematite alteration in the mineralized system. Visual indications from the drill holes farther to the west along the drill fence highlight the potential for a further 150 m of extension.

Drilling targeting southern extensions

Drill holes RIFT26-020, RIFT26-021 and RIFT26-023 are all located farther to the south, where the company has completed two smaller fences to continue testing the limits of the approximately 500-metre north-south strike length defined to date.

Drill results from RIFT26-023 returned an interval of 1.82 per cent REO over 48.9 m, including a higher-grade interval of 2.66 per cent REO over 8.5 m. Assay results from RIFT26-023 show an increase in both REO grade and downhole interval length to the west, relative to the other two drill holes along this fence of holes to the south (see news release dated Sept. 8, 2026). This westward-increasing grade-by-width trend provides further support for the company's current interpretation of Trinity zone geometry: a mineralized body elongated in a north-northeast direction with a westward plunge.

Drill holes RIFT26-020 and RIFT26-021 are the southernmost holes completed to date, located approximately 90 m south of RIFT26-023. RIFT26-021 returned elevated intervals of 1.38 per cent REO over 16.7 m and 3.17 per cent REO over 4.1 m within a broader 20.4-metre interval of 1.37 per cent REO. RIFT26-020 intersected a discrete, deeper zone of 2.47 per cent REO over 19.5 m within a wider interval of 42.7 m at 1.71 per cent REO. These analytical results confirm rock characteristics consistent with the Trinity zone; however, both holes display a waning in the intensity of hematite alteration compared with the higher-grade intersections to the north of this area.

To date, 24 of the 37 completed drill holes have analytical results released. Results contained herein continue to highlight significant intervals of greater than 4.00 per cent REO within a broader mineralized envelope (greater than 2.00 per cent REO) and, together with the positive rock attributes observed to the west, demonstrate strong potential of further Trinity zone expansion. Additionally, these intercepts have now traced Trinity zone mineralization approximately 500 m of north-south strike and greater than 300 m of western downdip extension within the greater 700-metre target corridor.

Program status and next steps

The company continues to drill with a single rig with drilling planned to continue well into Q4 2026. Additional assay results will be released as received, vetted and interpreted. The company remains on track to deliver an inaugural mineral resource estimate at the Rift project before the end of Q1 2027.

Quality assurance/quality control

All drilling was completed on a track-mounted diamond drill rig 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 split (250 grams) and pulverizing (mild steel) to 95 per cent passing 105 micrometres. The samples were subsequently analyzed using Code 8 by XRF -- Nb2O5 (niobium pentoxide), ZrO2 (zirconium dioxide) and Ta2O5 (tantalum pentoxide) (0.003 per cent) and 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.

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 has 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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