Could Deep-Sea Mining Break China’s Stranglehold On Critical Minerals?

The U.S. must pursue deep-sea mining so that the American economy—and our defense equipment and fighter jets—are no longer dependent on our biggest rival.

Janet Levy | July 10, 2026

Our F-35 fighter jets are the most advanced and lethal multirole stealth aircraft in the world. However, their avionics, actuators, and radar systems depend on our biggest rival—China, the world's largest producer of rare-earth elements, without which none of those systems, nor many others vital to the economy, could be built.

Ocean-bed mining might help correct this glaring weakness. President Trump has declared it a national security priority, and an executive order is exploring the possibility of ocean-bed mining beyond national jurisdictions. Federal agencies have been directed to encourage mineral extraction on land and undersea, and with political will, the United States may yet regain a position of strength.

But before we address ocean-bed mining and the international restrictions and hurdles America will have to surmount, some background.

Rare-earth elements are vital inputs for advanced aviation, space, and defense technologies. F-35 fighter jets, for instance, require samarium—a silvery-white metal—and other rare-earth elements for critical hardware, including magnetic components, turbomachinery, and rangefinders.

These elements are also essential for a wide range of high-tech applications, including computers, smartphones, imaging devices, warships, guidance and control systems, electric vehicles, and more. As digital systems take over everyday tasks and become ubiquitous, the need for these elements will rise exponentially.

Rare-earth elements aren’t rare: they are found and mined worldwide. However, over several decades, China has gained and maintained a monopoly on mining and refining them. While Western countries controlled mining to protect the environment, Chinese miners—since the late 1980s—have ravaged the countryside unimpeded, leveraging cheap labor and electricity.

Meanwhile, Chinese researchers focused on cheaper refining technologies. By the 2000s, hundreds of small mining companies and........

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