Deep-sea rare earth discovery could reshape Japan’s reliance on Chinese minerals

Don’t miss the full story, whose reporting from Mari Yamaguchi at The Associated Press is the basis of this artificial intelligence-assisted article.

Japan has achieved a world-first milestone by successfully drilling and retrieving rare earth-containing sediment from nearly 6,000 meters below the sea surface near Minamitorishima island, marking a significant step toward reducing its dependence on China for critical minerals.

Some key facts:

• Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced the achievement as a first step toward industrialization of domestically produced rare earth.

• The goal is to reduce Japan’s reliance on China, which controls most global production of heavy rare earths used in defense and electric vehicles.

• Chikyu, the deep-sea drilling vessel, departed last month for Minamitorishima, about 1,950 kilometers (1,210 miles) southeast of Tokyo, and arrived at the mining site on Jan. 17. The first batch of rare earth sediment was retrieved on Feb. 1, according to Japan’s Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, which is conducting the survey.

• China recently suspended exports to Japan of dual-use goods with potential military use, raising concerns about rare earth supplies.

• Japanese researchers discovered deposits rich with critical minerals, including rare earths around Minamitorishima in the 2010s.

• The project is part of Japan’s Strategic Innovation Promotion Program focusing on research, development and feasibility studies.

• Moving toward industrialization will require demonstrating the full mining process and verifying economic viability.

READ MORE: Japan retrieving rare earth-rich mud from seabed to lower reliance on China