US and New Zealand to fund Cook Islands port upgrade

The United States and New Zealand have announced a joint initiative to fund a major port upgrade on Penrhyn Atoll in the Cook Islands. The United States will contribute US$50 million, while New Zealand will provide approximately US$10 million (NZ$17.5 million) to the project. The upgrade at Omoka village is intended to improve maritime safety, enhance transport links, and support economic resilience for the northern Cook Islands.

U.S. Deputy State Secretary Christopher Landau noted that the project builds upon a Critical Minerals Framework signed between the U.S. and the Cook Islands earlier this year. Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown stated the port would facilitate emerging industries, including potential seabed mineral mining and enhanced fisheries.

However, the move has faced criticism from Greenpeace Aotearoa. The organization described the funding as a “trojan horse” for deep sea mining and a “gross act of colonialism,” arguing that the project serves U.S. interests in securing strategic positions and mineral resources despite regional resistance to seabed mining.