Japan deep-sea hunt finds rare earths as it seeks to cut reliance on China

In February 2026, Japan announced a successful deep-sea mission in the Pacific Ocean, retrieving sediment containing rare earth elements from a record depth of 6,000 meters. The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) conducted the mission near Minami Torishima, an island within Japan's economic waters. The area is estimated to hold over 16 million tonnes of rare earths, making it the third-largest reserve globally. This effort aims to reduce Japan's reliance on China for these valuable minerals, aligning with a recent agreement between Japan and the United States to secure the supply of rare earths. The retrieved sample is currently being analyzed to determine the quantity of rare earth elements present.

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