The United States and Japan are considering a large-scale project to extract rare-earth elements from the seabed near the Japanese island of Minamitorishima. The deposits lie at a depth of approximately 6 kilometers, and their development is intended to reduce the two countries’ dependence on China, which dominates the global rare-earth metals market. Bloomberg writes about this, reports UNN.
Details
Significant deposits of mud rich in yttrium, gadolinium, dysprosium and other heavy rare-earth elements have been discovered near the island. A study by the University of Tokyo estimates the total volume of rare-earth minerals in the area at more than 16 million tons.
Dysprosium and terbium are of particular interest — materials essential for the production of high-performance magnets, electric motors, semiconductors and other high-tech products. China controls a significant share of the global extraction and processing of these resources, making them an important element of the economic confrontation between Beijing, Washington and Tokyo.
Japan has already conducted test extraction operations near Minamitorishima. At the beginning of 2026, researchers collected about 50 tons of mud rich in rare-earth elements. In February 2027, they plan to conduct a full-scale month-long trial that will also include processing and smelting the material.
The Japanese government expects to prepare a plan for commercializing the project by 2028. Estimates indicate that full-scale development of the deposit will require billions of dollars in investment and more than a decade of work.
Challenges and companies’ interest
The main challenge is the extreme depth. Water pressure on the seabed near Minamitorishima is approximately 600 times higher than at sea level. Technologies for this type of extraction have not yet been used on a commercial scale.
U.S. interest in the project has intensified amid Washington’s efforts to counter Chinese dominance in the rare-earth element sector. Following a meeting between Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in March, the countries agreed to cooperate in deep-sea mining.
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According to Bloomberg, several U.S. companies have already expressed interest in participating in the project. At the same time, negotiations are at an early stage, and Japanese officials acknowledge that launching industrial extraction during Trump’s current presidential term is unlikely.
Tokyo is also concerned about China’s activity near Minamitorishima. Chinese research vessels have repeatedly conducted operations in the area of Japan’s exclusive economic zone, while Beijing also has its own rights to explore certain seabed areas in the western Pacific.
Thus, the Minamitorishima project has not only economic but also strategic significance: the United States and Japan are attempting to create an alternative source of critical metals and reduce their dependence on China, even if doing so requires developing deposits at a depth of approximately 6 kilometers.