Japan is advancing plans for a potential deep-sea mining trial after successfully retrieving rare earth-rich sediment from nearly 6,000 metres below the Pacific Ocean, in what officials describe as a major step toward securing critical mineral supplies. The breakthrough, achieved by the deep-sea drilling vessel Chikyu operated by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and […]
Japan is in discussions with India to jointly explore rare earth deposits in the western state of Rajasthan, as Tokyo moves to reduce its reliance on China for critical minerals used in advanced manufacturing, according to sources familiar with the matter. The talks follow a preliminary agreement on critical minerals signed last year between the […]
The United States is pressing its allies to move faster in reducing dependence on China for rare earths and other critical minerals, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warning that progress to date has been too slow. Bessent will host finance ministers and senior officials from the Group of Seven, the European Union, Australia, India, South […]
As China barred exports of so-called dual-use goods to Japan that could be applied to military ends, Japan has to urgently search for alternative sources and simultaneously explore its own rare-earth-rich mud from the deep seabed near the remote Minamitorishima Island, in a landmark experiment aimed at strengthening access to critical minerals amid growing geopolitical and […]
China has announced a ban on the export of dual-use goods to Japan when such items are intended for military purposes, in a fresh move that sharpens already strained ties between the two neighbours. The decision was disclosed by China’s Ministry of Commerce late on Monday and takes effect immediately. Under the new rule, exporters […]
Japan sharply criticized Beijing on Wednesday after China imposed new restrictions on the export of dual-use items to Tokyo, branding the move “absolutely unacceptable and deeply regrettable” as tensions rise between the two economic powers. The dispute has drawn attention to a broader risk that China might extend controls to critical rare earth materials. Dual-use […]