Japan retrieves rare earth mud from deep seabed in test mission

Japan’s government has announced that it successfully retrieved rare-earth-rich seabed mud for the first time from depths of around 6 km (4 miles) during a test mission.

A Japanese scientific drill ship departed on January 12 for the remote Minamitori Island to explore rare-earth-rich mud deposits, part of Tokyo’s effort to reduce its reliance on China for critical minerals as Beijing chokes off supplies.

The month-long mission by the test vessel Chikyu near Minamitori Island...