Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takashi expressed intention to collaborate with the United States on the development of underwater rare earth minerals near Minamitori Island in the Ogasawara Islands of Tokyo. The related discussions may be included in the agenda of the March meeting between Japan and the United States. This move is seen as a crucial step for economic security and reducing reliance on Chinese rare earth minerals.
Last week on Sunday, February 8, Prime Minister Takashi revealed on the Nippon Broadcasting System (NBS) program that the project led by the Ministry of Oil for exploring rare earth minerals in the seabed near Minamitori Island has completed trial drilling and achieved breakthrough results. She stated, “I hope the United States can participate fully to expedite this project.”
According to the Nikkei Asian Review, the deep-sea exploration vessel “Earth” returned to Shimizu Port in Shizuoka City on Saturday, February 14, concluding the drilling operation off the coast of Minamitori Island. Masakazu Ishii, the head of the Cross-Ministry Strategic Innovation Promotion Plan at the Cabinet Office, told the media that the research team successfully extracted rare earth mud continuously from the seabed at a depth of 5,569 meters near Minamitori Island, setting a global precedent.
The related samples have been sent to domestic institutions for detailed analysis, with results expected to be announced in 2026. The Japanese government plans to accelerate the commercialization process once the technology is matured, taking the first step towards developing the country’s underwater resources.
As early as 2013, institutions including the University of Tokyo discovered rare earth mud deposits in the waters surrounding Minamitori Island. The estimated reserves exceed 16 million tons (ranked third globally), rich in key rare earth elements such as dysprosium and gadolinium. These elements are widely used in areas such as high-performance magnets for electric vehicles and control rods for nuclear reactors.
During President Donald Trump’s visit to Japan in October last year, both countries signed a framework titled “Ensuring Critical Mineral and Rare Earth Supply through Mining and Processing Cooperation.” The Takashi government aims to integrate the plan for underwater mining near Minamitori Island into this cooperative framework to promote collaboration in the extraction and processing stages.
Japan possesses advantages in rare earth refining and high-end processing technology, but has long faced challenges in commercialization due to production, cost, and long-distance transportation. Takashi believes that cooperation with ally the United States will help address shortcomings in technology and market scale, accelerating the formation of a complete supply chain.
Takashi is scheduled to meet with President Trump at the White House on March 19. According to sources cited by the Nikkei Asian Review, economic security cooperation will be one of the core topics of the meeting. The current export controls implemented by the Chinese government have made rare earth and related products a shared concern for Japan and the United States.
Public data shows that China accounts for over 70% of global rare earth mineral production, with an even higher share in the downstream processing stages such as smelting and separation, holding a dominant position in the entire industry chain. As of 2024, approximately 63% of Japan’s rare earth supply came from China.
Recent tensions between China and Japan have led to Chinese restrictions on exports of certain rare earth-related products to Japan. As early as 2010, during friction over the Senkaku Islands issue, China also restricted the export of rare earth minerals to Japan. Subsequently, Japan has accelerated efforts to diversify its supply by collaborating with countries like Australia, Vietnam, as well as promoting recycling and exploring underwater resources to reduce dependence on a single source.
Simultaneously, against the backdrop of global supply chain restructuring and intensified geopolitical competition, the United States and China have shown clear differences in tariff policies and export management of key minerals like rare earths. In recent years, the United States has actively partnered with allies to restructure supply chain systems, emphasizing the diversification of sources for critical minerals to reduce reliance on Chinese rare earth supplies.
On the 4th of this month, the Trump administration held the first-ever Ministerial Meeting on Critical Minerals in Washington. Ministerial-level officials from 55 countries including Japan, India, South Korea, and Australia attended the meeting, aiming to strengthen cooperation in rare earth and other critical mineral supply chains, enhancing supply security and economic resilience.
During the meeting, the US frequently mentioned China’s dominant position in the rare earth sector, pointing out that low-cost exports and policy interventions could distort the market, emphasizing the necessity of reducing dependence on a single source. After the meeting, the United States, European Union, and Japan issued a joint statement, emphasizing the need to expedite coordinated actions to enhance supply chain resilience and economic security levels.