Cook Islands and United States Establish Strategic Framework for Critical Minerals Research and Supply Chain Security

The Government of the Cook Islands and the Government of the United States have agreed a non-binding Framework for Engagement and Cooperation to strengthen supply chains for critical minerals and rare earths, including cooperation relating to deep-sea minerals.

The Framework establishes a structured basis for collaboration across research, exploration, investment facilitation, processing, and supply chain development. It recognises the Cook Islands’ leadership in ocean governance and regulatory practice, while reaffirming the Cook Islands’ full sovereign control over its seabed minerals and decision-making.

A strategic, future-focused approach

The Framework reflects a shared interest in building resilient and responsible critical minerals supply chains that are essential to modern technologies. It brings together complementary strengths, the Cook Islands’ robust regulatory expertise, environmental stewardship and resource endowment, alongside the United States’ market depth, technical capability and investment capacity, to support high-standard outcomes.

“This Framework gives the Cook Islands options” Prime Minister Hon. Mark Brown, Minister for Seabed Minerals 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.”

What the Framework does

The Framework sets out a cooperative approach to:

• Establish a U.S.–Cook Islands Working Group to coordinate engagement, share expertise and identify areas of mutual strategic interest

• Promote joint research, geological mapping and information sharing, drawing on the strengths of both countries

• Encourage responsible investment aligned with high environmental, social and governance standards

• Support the development of secure, diversified and resilient critical minerals supply chains

• Facilitate early-stage engagement between governments, investors and operators in both jurisdictions

• Enable cooperation on downstream opportunities, including processing, recycling and market access

The Framework also provides a platform for dialogue on fair pricing mechanisms that reflect the real costs of responsible extraction and processing, supporting transparent, high-standard markets.

Importantly, all cooperation under the Framework is undertaken in accordance with each country’s domestic laws and regulatory processes. For the Cook Islands, this includes strict environmental assessment and permitting requirements.

Benefits for the Cook Islands

For the Cook Islands, the Framework delivers several strategic benefits:

• Investment certainty and credibility: A formal framework with the United States reinforces international confidence in the Cook Islands’ robust regulatory regime and long-term policy direction.

• Stronger market connectivity: The Framework supports structured engagement with U.S. public and private sector partners across finance, technology, and downstream markets, without pre-committing the Cook Islands to any specific project.

• Capability and knowledge exchange: Two-way cooperation on science, geoscience and regulatory practice supports domestic capability while contributing Cook Islands expertise to international best practice.

• High-standards leadership: The Cook Islands is positioned as a partner of choice for jurisdictions seeking responsible, transparent and environmentally robust approaches to critical minerals development.

• Strategic diversification: The Framework supports long-term economic resilience by creating options and partnerships, rather than short-term commitments.

What the Framework is not

The Government is clear about what this Framework does not do:

• It is not a mining licence, approval, or authorisation for any activity

• It does not guarantee funding, investment, or offtake

• It does not override or weaken Cook Islands environmental, permitting or regulatory laws

• It does not commit the Cook Islands to extraction, production, or timelines

• It is not legally binding and creates no enforceable obligations under domestic or international law

Any future exploration or mining activity within the Cook Islands EEZ would remain subject to existing legislation, strict environmental assessment, and independent regulatory decision-making.

Source by: Seabed Minerals Authority