US pushes closer to Pacific mining

PACIFIC countries appear to be edging closer to deep-sea mining as they meet the United States in what has been termed a prosperity summit.

Despite warnings on the dangers of deep-sea mining and the absence of scientific safeguards, the Cook Islands – and to a lesser extent Nauru,  Tonga, and Kiribati – appear to be on the path to full engagement in this untested area.

The “Pacific Agenda: Investment, Security, and Shared Prosperity Summit” in Hawaii this week will see a gathering of senior officials, Pacific Island leaders, and representatives, including Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown.

The summit will focus on investment opportunities in critical minerals and regional supply chains. And it follows the recently signed Cook Islands-United States Framework for Securing Critical Minerals and Rare Earths.

The Pacific Network on Globalisation has warned of the dangers that come from closer economic alignment for Pacific Island Countries as the US continues its push to control access to critical minerals for its military and geostrategic interests.

PANG argues that the framework agreement moves the Pacific region one step closer to deep-sea mining by giving the US a direct line into promoting the experimental process in Cook Islands waters.
It is a view shared generally by civil society across the region.

“The agreement has effectively invited the US into the domestic processes that the Cook Islands is undertaking to determine whether or not a dangerous and untested industry like deep-sea mining should happen in Cook Island waters,’’ said PANG Deputy Coordinator Adam Wolfenden.

“This framework will give the US clear access to pursue its military and geopolitical interests in deep-sea minerals, bringing the Cook Islands squarely into its zero-sum competition with China.”

The framework agreement has raised alarms among Cook Islanders, who expressed concerns over what the agreement means for advancing deep-sea mining.

“This alignment suggests that our government is already moving past the ‘if’ and onto the ‘how,’ effectively building the industrial plumbing for a deep-sea minerals market while still publicly debating the environmental cost of turning on the tap,” said Alanna Smith of Te Ipukarea Society.

The Cook Islands – US agreement establishes what is described as a working group to identify areas and opportunities related to the Pacific nation’s deep-sea mineral resources, including promoting predictable and efficient permitting and matching operators and investors for the relevant assets.

“The agreement is clear in its intention to minimise barriers to deep-sea mining. So-called ‘predictable and efficient permitting’ will prioritise investors and lower the appetite for regulatory change,’’ Wolfenden said.

“For an unknown industry, showing an intention not make regulatory changes is a dangerous signal to make and one that implies a deprioritisation of the human and environmental impacts of this untested mining to try secure US investment.’’

While the agreement is considered non-binding, President Donald Trump warned on January 14 that after 180 days, he may impose trade restrictions if the agreements are not implemented.

“The US has shown clearly that it is solely focused on securing its economic and strategic position; agreements like these are a warning to all Pacific Island Leaders against overtures from America that will only consolidate the power asymmetry in the relationship,”  Wolfenden said.