Japan to Send Delegation to Greenland to Assess Rare Earth Mining

Japan's government plans to dispatch a delegation of officials, industry representatives and experts from the Japanese Organization for Metals and Energy Security to Greenland this summer. The team will meet Greenland's autonomous administration and inspect a prospective rare‑earths mine, evaluating resource types, reserves and extraction costs.

Tokyo aims to diversify its supply of critical minerals, reducing reliance on China, which accounts for around 70% of global rare‑earth production. The United States Geological Survey estimates Greenland holds about 1.5 million tonnes of rare‑earths, ranking it eighth worldwide. Japan previously visited the island in November 2025 and concluded that, despite extreme conditions, mining could be viable.

The mission reflects growing international interest in Arctic resources as nations seek secure inputs for high‑tech products, batteries, electric vehicles and defense systems.