Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she would discuss joint development of deep-sea rare earths with the United States when she meets President Donald Trump this week.
Tokyo recently retrieved sediment containing rare earths from 6,000-meter depths near Minamitorishima island. These metals are critical for electric vehicles, hard drives, and missiles.
Japan and the US have been discussing marine resource cooperation since February. The topic is expected to be a focus at their upcoming summit.
