CCTV News reported on April 16 that China's export control of seven types of medium and heavy rare earth-related items has triggered panic in relevant U.S. industries.

According to a report by the Financial Times on April 12, the Trump administration is drafting an executive order which points out that the U.S. plans to stockpile metals discovered in the Pacific Ocean seabed, intensify deep-sea metal nodule mining, and store them within the United States to cope with China's restrictions on rare metal exports. In fact, the U.S. has largely been absent from international negotiations on deep-sea mining and has yet to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Financial Times disclosed that the Trump administration plans to authorize American companies to mine polymetallic nodules rich in nickel, cobalt, manganese, and rare earth elements in the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone (CC Zone) in the Pacific Ocean. These deep-sea minerals, known as "metal potatoes," are key raw materials for manufacturing electric vehicle batteries, military equipment, and electronic products. The mined minerals will be incorporated into U.S. strategic reserves to address potential conflicts or supply chain disruptions with China in the future.

The core of this plan is to bypass the review procedures of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), a UN-affiliated agency, and directly approve mining permits through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a subordinate body of the U.S. Department of Commerce. This action is based on the U.S. Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act of 1980, rather than the widely recognized United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Secretary-General Carlos Lopes of the International Seabed Authority condemned the U.S. unilateral actions as "violating international law" and stated that they undermine multilateralism principles. Forty countries, including Russia, France, and Canada, have jointly opposed this plan.

Environmental organizations warn that deep-sea mining may trigger "death plumes," causing irreversible damage to marine ecosystems and destroying coral and fish habitats, with ecological recovery taking millions of years. Moreover, technical challenges remain unresolved—the mining equipment must withstand 5,500 meters of water pressure (equivalent to an elephant standing on a fingernail) and commercial trials have not yet succeeded.

China holds 90% of the world's rare earth refining technology. Even if the U.S. succeeds in mining, it still depends on China's processing capabilities. MP Materials, the only U.S. rare earth miner, admitted that its raw materials still need to be sent to China for processing. China's recent export control of seven types of medium and heavy rare earths has directly impacted the U.S. defense and new energy industries. For example, 87% of the F-35 fighter jet's rare earth supply chain relies on China, and a supply cut could paralyze its production line.

Rare earths have wide technological applications and are key components of smartphones, spacecraft, electric vehicles, and medical devices such as MRI machines.

Heavy rare earths are "crucial for national defense" and are used in F-35 fighters, submarines, and Tomahawk missiles. China's move comes weeks after the U.S. Air Force announced a contract with Boeing to lead the development of the world's first sixth-generation fighter, the F-47.

Data from the U.S. Department of Defense shows that an F-35 fighter requires 900 pounds of rare earths, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer requires 5,200 pounds, and a Virginia-class nuclear submarine requires 9,200 pounds. The U.S. can obtain some materials from other countries, but this approach is not feasible for "heavy rare earths," which have higher atomic numbers, lower reserves, and are more difficult to extract.

Analysts point out that Trump's deep-sea mining initiative aims to reduce reliance on Chinese rare earths. Although the executive order has not been formally signed, the international game and ecological controversies it has triggered continue to escalate. It remains uncertain whether the U.S. can reshape the rare earth supply chain through unilateral actions.

Reported by He Liping of the Paper.

(This article comes from the Paper, and more original content can be found by downloading the "Paper" app.)

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7493801371184874010/

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