US and Japan Move Forward With World's Deepest Undersea Mine to Challenge China

Tokyo and Washington are laying the groundwork to construct the deepest seabed mine in history, targeting vast Pacific rare earth reserves to dismantle Beijing's dominance over critical industrial minerals.

The joint initiative centers on seabed mud six kilometers beneath the surface near Minamitorishima, containing deposits that a bilateral summit statement heralded could “meet centuries’ worth of industrial demand,” according to Bloomberg.

Breaking Beijing's Leverage

Following discussions between U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, both nations are pursuing a closed-loop supply chain to neutralize China's market leverage.

Beijing currently controls roughly 90 percent of global rare earth production and has previously choked off exports to both Washington and Tokyo during geopolitical spats.

"Minamitorishima is an ambitious project, but one that could enable Japan and the U.S. to possess a fully closed-loop, mine-to-magnet rare earths supply chain, helping to break China's leverage over them,” said William Chou, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute.

Recent Japanese test extractions yielded heavy rare earths, including yttrium, gadolinium, and dysprosium.

Takaichi has positioned the project at the core of her economic security agenda, pledging around $5.7 billion in public and private funding by 2040.

“This means Japan won't have to worry about securing rare earths, not for our generation, and not for the next generation either," Takaichi told voters during a national election campaign speech.

Extreme Depths and Technical Barriers

Extracting seabed mud 3.7 miles underwater presents unprecedented engineering hurdles, with ambient pressure reaching 600 times sea-level norms.

Commercial viability remains untested at such depths, with costs estimated at triple China's land-based mining operations.

Despite the hurdles, Houston-based Deep Reach Technology and other North American oil and gas drilling specialists have held preliminary discussions with Japanese officials regarding extraction tech.

University of Tokyo researchers estimate the site contains over 16 million tons of rare earth elements, capable of supplying global yttrium needs for 780 years.

Japan plans a month-long extraction and refining trial for February 2027, targeting a full commercialization strategy by 2028.

U.S. executive orders issued in April directing expedited permits have further accelerated momentum.

Pacific Security Frictions

Geopolitical friction surrounding Minamitorishima has intensified alongside commercial interest.

Chinese survey vessels have repeatedly mapped the seabed bordering Japan's exclusive economic zone, while a Chinese aircraft carrier entered the island's waters in June 2025.

In response to growing military activity from Beijing and Moscow, Tokyo deployed a Type 12 Surface-to-Ship Missile launcher, an electronic warfare system, and surveillance drones to the remote outpost.

Japanese defense officials have also established a dedicated task force to bolster Pacific island surveillance and evaluate expanded radar infrastructure.