Japan and the United States are deepening cooperation on critical minerals through a new initiative to assess rare earth potential in the Pacific Ocean near Minamitori Island, roughly 1,900 kilometres southeast of Tokyo. The effort follows recent high-level talks in Tokyo, where both nations agreed on a framework to secure rare earth supply chains and reduce reliance on China, which currently dominates global production.
The project will focus on evaluating the feasibility of extracting mineral-rich mud from depths of up to 6,000 metres within Japan’s exclusive economic zone. Initial feasibility tests are scheduled to begin in January, with Japan leading the technical trials. If results are favourable, the partners aim to scale the system to recover around 350 tonnes of mud per day by early 2027.
This joint effort represents a significant step toward developing secure and diversified sources of strategic materials used in advanced technologies, from electric vehicles to defense systems. It also underscores Japan’s broader goal of strengthening maritime resource independence and advancing domestic deep-sea extraction capabilities.
Current estimates indicate that China remains responsible for the vast majority of rare earth extraction worldwide, while the United States and Myanmar together account for about 20%. A successful Minamitori project could shift that balance and establish a new model for allied deep-sea resource development.
