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Japan retrieves seabed rare earth mud in bid to curb supply dependence

( February 3, 2026, 02:29 GMT | Official Statement) -- MLex Summary: Japan has successfully recovered rare earth–bearing mud from the seabed of the Pacific Ocean, about 1,700 kilometers south of Tokyo. A Cabinet Office unit overseeing strategic innovation programs said Monday that the deep-sea exploration vessel Chikyu retrieved the material on Sunday, marking Japan’s first successful recovery of rare earth mud from the ocean floor. The vessel, operated by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, is scheduled to return to a Japanese port on Feb. 15 after completing seabed mud recovery operations on Monday. The project is part of Japan’s efforts to test the feasibility of mining and refining rare earth at depths of around 6,000 meters, as it seeks to reduce dependence on specific countries for rare earth supplies.The statement follows, (in Japanese)....

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