Japan Mines Pacific Seabed to Loosen China's Grip on Rare Earths | FT #shorts
Why It Matters
Japan’s seabed mining drive could reshape global rare‑earth supply chains, bolstering its strategic autonomy while highlighting the trade‑off between resource security and marine environmental stewardship.
Key Takeaways
- •Japan targets deep‑sea rare earths to reduce China dependence
- •Prime Minister Sai Takayichi pushes Minami Torihama project with US partnership
- •Discovered 1,900 km offshore site could supply critical minerals domestically
- •Experts doubt economic viability and warn about marine environmental risks
- •Global race intensifies as nations secure EV and defense supply chains
Summary
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.
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