Henrico Times

Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) have written a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, urging the Department of Defense (DOD) to address the national security implications of China's interest and investment in seabed mining. The lawmakers express concern over China's dominance in global supply chains for critical mineral resources and the potential for China to seize control of deep-sea assets.

In their letter, Wittman and Stefanik highlight the importance of strengthening rare earth and critical minerals supply chains to prevent China from capturing and exploiting seabed resources. They emphasize the need for the United States, particularly the DOD, to engage with allies, partners, and industry to counter China's efforts.

The lawmakers point out that China currently controls 85 to 95 percent of global supply chains for critical minerals such as nickel, cobalt, lithium, manganese, and zinc. They also note that China possesses the majority of the world's processing capacity for these materials, which are crucial for U.S. weapons systems. China's dominance in this market is built on environmental and human rights violations, including ecosystem destruction and unsafe working conditions.

Wittman and Stefanik draw attention to China's recent actions to tighten export controls on rare earths and impose restrictions on gallium and germanium products. These measures further demonstrate China's efforts to dominate crucial supply chains and pose a threat to U.S. interests.

The lawmakers also highlight the potential risks associated with deep-sea mining. They explain that the deep-sea bed contains valuable metal deposits, including polymetallic nodules rich in manganese, cobalt, copper, nickel, and rare earth elements. China has already been granted exploration licenses for a significant portion of these resources by the International Seabed Authority (ISA), and they are pressuring the ISA to adopt regulations that would allow mining to begin.

Wittman and Stefanik stress that the United States cannot afford to cede another critical mineral resource to China. They call on the DOD to evaluate and plan for seabed mining as a new vector of competition with China for resource superiority and security. The lawmakers request information from Secretary Austin regarding the extent to which deep-sea polymetallic nodules are considered in the National Defense Stockpile (NDS) Program's assessment of rare material availability and the potential for U.S. access to these resources to reduce dependence on non-allied countries.

They also inquire about the DOD's review of using Defense Production Act Title III authorities to increase domestic processing capacity for deep-sea polymetallic nodules and the department's coordination with the Department of Commerce and Department of State on the ISA's regulation development.

Wittman, Stefanik, and 29 other members of Congress are awaiting a response from Secretary Austin as they stand ready to work together to secure the critical national defense supply chains.

For additional details, please follow this link: https://wittman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5405