London-listed Aterian has agreed to the terms of a new trade finance facility with an international trading house, a milestone in its ongoing growth and expansion strategy.

The facility is subject to the completion of due diligence and legal documentation.

This financial arrangement is set to enhance and significantly enlarge the company’s trading operations, accelerating Aterian’s progress and reinforcing its commitment to long-term value creation, the company says in a statement.

This new trade facility represents a key component of Aterian’s broader strategy, which is centred on the exploration and development of critical minerals, particularly copper and lithium assets across Rwanda, Morocco and Botswana, with eight high-priority exploration projects currently under way.

Aterian highlights its partnership-driven exploration model, with a lithium exploration joint venture (JV) with Rio Tinto Mining and Exploration, in Rwanda, which began in late 2023.

This JV is shortly expected to demonstrate results, with assay results expected soon. Aterian views the potential for a tantalum or niobium discovery as value additive to the company in all cases.

The company's collaborative approach will continue to be a cornerstone of  its strategy.

With each new JV, partnership, and financing milestone, Aterian says it is steadily advancing towards its vision of becoming a premier exploration and trading enterprise in Africa.

“I am delighted to share a pivotal moment in Aterian's journey with our shareholders and stakeholders. The successful arrangement of this significantly larger trade finance facility with an international house marks a transformational step forward in our growth trajectory, significantly accelerating our ability to generate revenues to cover operational costs and drive long-term value creation,” chairperson Charles Bray acclaims.

“This transaction underscores our trading model’s robustness and ability to capitalise on emerging opportunities within the critical metals sector. This is more than just a financial milestone – it is a game-changer for Aterian and its shareholders,” he adds.