US to pursue seabed mining with Cook Islands after China pact
The US has entered talks with the Cook Islands to develop seabed mineral resources, just months after the South Pacific nation formalized cooperation pacts with China that included exploration for undersea deposits.
The arrangement, unveiled during the Cook Islands’ 60th anniversary of self-government, will include joint efforts to map the island nation’s Exclusive Economic Zone, which is “one of the most promising regions for deep-sea mineral deposits,” the US State Department said in a statement Tuesday.
In April, President Donald Trump issued an executive order expediting American licensing of seabed mining, departing from international law to unleash what the administration called a “gold rush” to “counter China’s growing influence.”
Within days of Trump’s order, the US subsidiary of Canadian-registered The Metals Company filed the first application to mine the seabed in international waters under a 1980 law, boosting its share price and drawing international scrutiny.
China already dominates the critical minerals supply chain on land, and TMC is seeking to tap into the US president’s pursuit of China-free metals.
Seabed mining has long been discussed as a way of boosting supplies of metals like cobalt, nickel and manganese. But commercial production remains distant, with key technologies still unproven and facing environmental criticism.
Officials from the Cook Islands signed the memorandum with China in February as part of the two countries’ five-year strategic partnership.
The State Department said in its statement that the Cook Islands’ “vast maritime natural resources” would benefit from America’s “expertise in oceanic research and technology.”
Comments
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
ESAB South Arica, the leading supplier of high-end welding and cutting products to the Southern African industrial market is based in...
VISIT SHOWROOM
As one of South Africa's leading manufacturers, Bell Equipment distributes and exports its wide range of heavy equipment globally to mining,...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
