Trump Plans Deep Sea Metal Stockpile To Counter China’s Rare Earth Dominance

The Trump administration is preparing a new executive order to begin stockpiling critical metals collected from the Pacific Ocean seabed to reduce the United States’ reliance on China for essential battery minerals and rare earth elements, according to people familiar with the plan.

The plan involves gathering potato-sized rocks known as polymetallic nodules that lie on the deep-sea floor. These nodules are rich in minerals like copper, cobalt, manganese, and nickel essential for batteries, electrical wiring, and even military equipment.

They also contain traces of rare earth elements, which are critical for producing electric vehicles, smartphones, and defense technologies.

Officials familiar with the matter said that these seabed metals could be added to the existing national stockpiles, alongside resources like crude oil and traditional metals.

The idea is to secure large quantities of these resources on US soil that could be used in the event of future conflicts or supply chain disruptions, especially if tensions with China escalate.

The goal is to make the US more self-reliant in sourcing materials critical to modern technology and defense, as China currently dominates this space.

China, which accounts for around 90% of the world’s refined rare earths, recently imposed export restrictions on certain rare earth elements to use mineral supplies as a form of economic leverage in response to ongoing trade tensions with the US, including tariffs imposed during Trump’s presidency.

A source involved in the planning said the stockpile would ensure that the US has secure access to these metals during emergencies or potential conflicts that may disrupt imports.

The same source explained that the initiative has shifted from being a commercial issue to one of national security, due to China’s long-term efforts in building up control over these strategic resources.

Alexander Gray, a former chief of staff to the US National Security Adviser during Trump’s first term, was cited in reports saying that the US needs to pay more attention to deep-sea mining as China increasingly treats the seabed as an area of economic and military competition.

Some influential Republicans, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, have been vocal supporters of these efforts.

The annual US defense budget previously instructed the Department of Defense to study the feasibility of refining seabed nodules for defense-related uses.

Insiders say the executive order being drafted aims to push the government to focus on this issue and could help the US catch up to China in deep-sea exploration and mineral control.

Neither the White House nor China’s foreign ministry has responded to media queries regarding the matter so far.

References: FT, Reuters

Source: Maritime Shipping News