The US and New Zealand are jointly funding a major port upgrade on the island of Penrhyn in the northern Cook Islands to establish a pathway to deep-sea mining.
Announced in Palau ahead of the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, the US Department of State committed US$50 million ($70 million) to the project, while New Zealand contributed NZ$17.5 million ($14.43 million).
New Zealand will implement the project in close coordination with the Cook Islands and the US.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters says the initiative is “positive and hugely significant”, demonstrating the strengths of New Zealand’s partnerships with the Cooks Islands and the US.
“We are very pleased to be able to partner with the United States and the Cook Islands governments to deliver this development priority for the Cook Islands, drawing on New Zealand’s experience in infrastructure delivery across the Pacific,” Peters says.
The US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau says the project is representative of the US’ commitment to its partners in the Pacific, while also building on Critical Minerals Framework signed with the Cook Islands earlier this year.
“It also highlights our historic ties to Penrhyn Atoll, where US personnel constructed Penrhyn’s port and airstrip over 80 years ago,” Landau says.
“Through transformational infrastructure initiatives such as this, we are making the United States and our partners safer, stronger, and more prosperous.”
Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown says the port will allow “safer landings, better access to services, and stronger connections between our Pa Enua and the world”.
“This wharf upgrade complements our new domestic shipping investments and our own efforts in improving transport connections for our Pa Enua,” Brown says.
“We thank the United States and New Zealand for partnering with us to deliver on a priority our people have themselves identified.”
In February 2026, the Cook Islands and US governments agreed upon a non-binding framework for engagement and cooperation to strengthen critical minerals and rare earths supply chains.
This framework includes cooperation regarding deep-sea minerals by establishing a structured basis for research, exploration, investment facilitation, processing, and supply chain development.
As reported by Mining.com.au following this framework, subsea mineral explorer Deep Sea Minerals (CSE:SEAS) was focused on pursuing offshore critical minerals efforts.
These include concession pathways within the Cook Islands Exclusive Economic Zone and US permitting initiatives.
Arthur D. Little Principal Ilya Epikhim believes deep-sea mining could optimistically begin ramping up across late 2026 to early 2027.
Epikhim’s statement follows the announcement of a new rule in January finalised under the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act (DSHMRA) to modernise and streamline the permitting process for US entities.
The rule was implemented by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which falls under the US Department of Commerce.
Deep-sea mining is the process of extracting mineral deposits from the ocean floor, typically at depths greater than 200m. Materials extracted from the ocean floor are considered essential building blocks for electric vehicle batteries, wind turbines, and solar panels.
It is a controversial point of debate for governments, mining companies, and environmentalists.
While the minerals sourced from deep-sea mining are required to build a lower carbon future, deep-sea mining has several environmental impacts that remain uncertain, which in some cases, can affect the ecosystem.
This includes biodiversity loss, as well as possibly effects on ecosystem services provided to humans.
Write to Maddison Elliott at Mining.com.au
Images: Pacific Islands Forum
