Japan finds heavy-rare-earth-rich content in seabed samples near Minamitori Island

Japan finds heavy-rare-earth-rich content in seabed samples

An analysis of rare-earth-bearing mud retrieved from the Pacific seabed near Minamitori Island earlier in 2026 found that medium and heavy rare earth elements accounted for roughly 54% of the total rare earth content, Japan's government announced on July 24, 2026. The Cabinet Office's national platform for innovative ocean development said the sample contained yttrium, used in aerospace, energy and semiconductor applications; gadolinium, used in magnetic resonance imaging and other high-tech applications; and dysprosium, used in high-performance magnets for electric vehicles. About 50 metric tons of mud were recovered during the mission. The government did not disclose the size of the deposits, saying the data was insufficient due to the limited duration and geographic scope of sampling.

Japan's Chikyu vessel completed the recovery in February 2026

The Japanese scientific drilling vessel Chikyu completed a month-long mission in February 2026 near Minamitori Island, about 1,900 km southeast of Tokyo, marking what the government described as the world's first successful attempt to continuously lift rare-earth-bearing seabed mud from depths of around 6 km. The project is part of Japan's effort to diversify critical mineral supplies amid tightening Chinese export controls on heavy rare earths and related magnets that are crucial for defence and automotive industries.

Tokyo plans a larger mining trial starting in February 2027

Japan intends to launch a month-long large-scale mining trial in the same waters from February 2027, aiming to dredge 350 tons of mud a day. The material will be dewatered at Minamitori Island and processed on the mainland to test separation, refining and smelting technologies. Kazushige Kikuchi, project manager at the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, which operates the Chikyu, said the trial is expected to verify the feasibility of domestic rare earth production, with a comprehensive assessment of industrialisation prospects due by March 2028.

Beijing has tightened rare earth export controls since 2025

According to reporting from late 2025, China's Commerce Ministry announced on October 9, 2025, that from December 1, 2025, overseas entities would need Beijing's approval to export products made abroad that contain Chinese-origin controlled materials of at least 0.1% in value, extending export controls beyond China's borders for the first time to cover foreign transfers of products made with Chinese rare earth materials or technology. The ministry also announced four other sets of export restrictions related to super-hard materials, rare earth equipment and raw materials, five types of medium and heavy rare earth elements, and lithium battery and graphite-anode materials, to take effect from November 8, 2025. Separately, Beijing imposed export controls on some heavy rare earths and related magnets in April 2025 and tightened restrictions on exports to Japan in January 2026 and twice again the following month, targeting major Japanese conglomerates.

US moves to scale domestic refining and magnet output

US federal efforts under the Trump administration have included a partnership announced in November 2025 between the Pentagon's Office of Strategic Capital, Indiana-based ReElement Technologies and North Carolina magnet producer Vulcan Elements. ReElement, which says it has developed a chromatography-based rare earth processing and recycling method, operates a commercialisation facility in Noblesville, Indiana, with a larger production site in Marion due to come online next year. Chief executive Mark Jensen said the company expects by the end of 2026 to be the largest producer of rare earth oxides in the United States, with the ReElement-Vulcan partnership targeting 10,000 metric tons of neodymium-iron-boron magnets over the next few years for use in EVs, wind turbines, hard-disk drives and MRI machines. Even that target is a fraction of the approximately 230,000 tons of such magnets produced globally in 2024, according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Demand drivers and supply concentration

Beijing now produces about 60% of the world's rare earth supply according to the International Energy Agency and holds roughly 34% of proven ore reserves according to the US Geological Survey, while controlling nearly 90% of global processing and refining output. Production of high-torque, compact EV motors using rare-earth magnets is rising by roughly a third each year, and military aircraft rely heavily on the materials; one RAND estimate cited in November 2025 reporting suggests an F-35 contains more than 900 pounds of rare-earth materials in its engines and electronics.