2025-11-06 02:57:00
Japan and the United States plan to explore joint development of rare earth mining in the waters around Minamitori Island in the Pacific, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Thursday.
Takaichi told parliament the issue was a key topic in her recent talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, part of broader efforts to strengthen resource cooperation. Japan will begin test seabed mining in January around Minamitori, about 1,900 kilometres southeast of Tokyo, to secure stable supplies of critical minerals as China tightens export controls.
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The move signals deepening U.S.–Japan resource security ties as both nations seek to diversify rare earth supply chains away from China. Test mining near Minamitori could mark a step toward large-scale commercial production.
