Would Mining the Seabed for Rare Earth Minerals Help America Catch Up to China?

Highlights

• Sally Yozell from Stimson Center argues the US must quickly develop a comprehensive policy for deep seabed mining to counter China’s growing control over rare earth element supply chains.
• National security and technological competitiveness depend on establishing rules and accessing critical minerals from ocean floors.
• The international quest for rare earth minerals is driving a complex geopolitical competition with significant economic and technological implications.

Should America “get off the sidelines” and become more proactive about envisioning, designing, and executing on a policy to develop a sensible seabed mining policy? A sophisticated, cross disciplinary next generation approach integrating ocean science, geopolitics, economics, and national security?

This is a great affirmative according to Sally Yozell (opens in a new tab), a Senior Fellow and Director, Environmental Security at the Stimson Center (opens in a new tab), a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank that analyzes issues related to global peace.

The author’s first premise, that the surge in demand for rare earth elements (REE) only advances in the context of ever more uncertain supply chain dynamics. And of course, the think tank researcher expresses her intimate knowledge as to the control China has secured over the supply chain.

Thus,  Yozell, who earned her master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Vermont argues that America needs some prioritization, and quickly. Namely in a key area of her ongoing investigation, into oceans.

Specifically, full throttle effort should be made to set in motion a process to design rules around deep seabed mining, arguing national security interests demand action.   It’s a dynamic situation, as “China is quickly moving forward and defining the rules of the road for seabed mining.”

Under “the Problem” Ms. Yozell articulates, at least indirectly, that the key to global competitiveness in the realm of REE and the related supply chain dynamics is the “international quest to access rare earth minerals, which are vital to meet technology demands.”

Suggesting whichever nation masters the pursuit of critical REE in the seabed should have an advantage in key high tech industry over the next decades.  And “with the new U.S. Administration coming to power, potential China hawks like Senator Marco Rubio and Representative Michael Waltz are likely to pay more attention to this competition for advanced technologies, particularly in the maritime domain.”

While the author touches on the reality that China controls about 85% of the process and refining activity, the prognosis really doesn’t help solve that problem.  It does propose the prospects of dramatically increasing access to key valuable minerals and REE.  But aside from rapid, incremental yet disruptive trends in key REE value chain activities, such as novel, efficient, and environmentally friendly ways to recycle and process these materials, more sources, while good, won’t be enough.

See the link to the policy memo at Stimson (opens in a new tab).