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Japan Mines Pacific Seabed to Loosen China's Grip on Rare Earths | FT #shorts

Japan announced an ambitious deep‑sea mining program to extract rare‑earth elements from the Pacific seabed, aiming to blunt Beijing’s stranglehold on critical minerals. The initiative centers on the Minami Torihama deposit discovered in 2011, located about 1,900 km southeast of Tokyo within Japan’s exclusive economic zone. Prime Minister Sai Takayichi, fresh from a landslide victory, plans to invite U.S. participation, positioning the project as the first step toward domestic rare‑earth industrialization. Beijing currently controls roughly 60% of rare‑earth mining and over 90% of refining and magnet production, prompting Tokyo to act after recent Chinese export curbs. While the venture promises a secure supply for electric‑vehicle batteries and defense systems, analysts warn that commercial viability remains uncertain and environmental groups caution about damage to fragile marine ecosystems. If successful, Japan could diversify its supply chain, reduce strategic vulnerability, and set a precedent for other nations eyeing seabed resources, but the project’s economic and ecological hurdles could shape its ultimate impact.