Cook Islands agreement with US sparks alarm over seabed minerals

Rebekah Rasmussen Published February 23, 2026 at 11.35am (AWST)

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An independent polyp imaged during a deep sea exploration of the Cook Islands in 2025. (Image: Ocean Exploration Trust)

The Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG) has warned a new critical minerals agreement between the Cook Islands and the United States could move the region closer to deep-sea mining.

The warning comes as senior Pacific leaders gather in Hawai'i for the Pacific Agenda: Investment, Security, and Shared Prosperity Summit to discuss investment opportunities in critical minerals and regional supply chains.

The summit follows the signing of a non-binding Cook Islands-United States framework for engagement and cooperation on critical minerals and rare earths, including deep-sea minerals.

PANG says the agreement creates a pathway for the United States to influence domestic decision-making in the Cook Islands as it considers whether deep-sea mining should proceed.

PANG Deputy Coordinator, Adam Wolfenden, said 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".

"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," he said.

The Cook Islands-United States agreement establishes a working group to identify areas and opportunities related to the Cook Islands deep sea mineral resource, including promoting permitting processes and matching operators and investors.

Concerns have also been raised in the Cook Islands about what the agreement could signal for the direction of policy while environmental impacts remain under public debate.

*Rarotonga's Sail Out rally calling a pause to deep sea mining. (Image: Te Ipukarea Society - TIS/Facebook)*

Alanna Smith from Te Ipukarea Society, a Cook Islands environmental NGO, said the agreement suggested the Cook Islands Government was moving from whether deep-sea mining should happen to how it could be implemented.

"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," Ms Smith said.

PANG says the agreement signals an intent to reduce regulatory barriers through permitting settings designed to support investment.

"The agreement is clear in its intention to minimise barriers to deep-sea mining," Mr Wolfenden said.

"So called 'predictable and efficient permitting' will prioritise investors and lower the appetite for regulatory change."

The Cook Islands Government says the framework is not a mining licence or authorisation and does not commit the Cook Islands to extraction, production, or timelines.

The Government says any future exploration or mining within its Exclusive Economic Zone would remain subject to existing legislation, environmental assessment and independent regulatory decision-making.

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, who is also Minister for Seabed Minerals, said the framework was designed to expand options while keeping decision-making under Cook Islands law.

"This Framework gives the Cook Islands options," Mr Brown said.

"It establishes a platform for genuine collaboration, strengthens our strategic relationships, and ensures that any development occurs on our terms, under our laws, and in a way that delivers long-term value for our people and our partners."

PANG has pointed to a January 14 proclamation by US President Donald Trump indicating that after 180 days he may impose trade restrictions if agreements are not implemented.

Mr Wolfenden said the proclamation showed non-binding agreements could still be used to apply pressure.

"While these agreements are technically non-binding, the US has made clear that it reserves the right to pressure countries to implement their commitments," he said.

"This highlights the inherent asymmetry in these frameworks and again places US interests above all else, highlighting the need for clarity and transparency in the role and actions of the joint Working Group."

The summit is described as an invitation-only forum intended to advance private sector-driven investment across the Pacific through dialogue with Pacific leaders, US Government officials and investors.