Critical minerals, strategic location, and a territory built for what the world needs next
By Don Southerton | Founder & CEO, Bridging Culture Worldwide
I have spent much of my recent career helping strategic partners understand markets that others overlook. In particular, Korea and Korean brands, before it was fashionable.
And now, American Samoa, a US territory sitting on one of the most strategically significant untapped mineral deposits on the planet.
Friends ask me why I’m focused on American Samoa. The answer is straightforward: when you see an opportunity this significant this early, you pay attention.
| American Samoa’s deep-sea polymetallic nodule deposits contain an estimated 10 billion tons of nickel, cobalt, manganese, and copper, a non-China, US-territory source at exactly the moment the world is scrambling to build one. |
Bridging Culture Worldwide is proud to serve as an investor advisory partner to the American Samoa Economic Development Council (ASEDC). Our role is to connect ASEDC with the Korea and broader Asia investor and strategic partner networks we have been building for years. This is not a speculative bet. It is a well-timed alignment of extraordinary natural resources, US territorial status, and an administration in Washington that has made critical mineral supply chain security a top priority.
The Trump administration’s focus on reducing dependence on Chinese supply chains has created a window that may not stay open. American Samoa checks every box: US jurisdiction, deep-water access, proven mineral deposits, and the political will to develop them responsibly.
The strategic case could not be more timely. The global race for critical minerals is no longer a future concern; it is happening now.
I feel that nations and industries that control nickel, cobalt, manganese, and copper will hold decisive advantages in electric vehicles, advanced batteries, defense systems, and next-generation technology.
Most of the world’s current supply runs through China or depends on Chinese processing. American Samoa offers something rare: a U.S.-controlled, deep-water source with no such dependency.
| This is not a speculative bet. It is a well-timed alignment of extraordinary natural resources, US territorial status, and an administration in Washington that has made critical mineral supply chain security a top priority. |
All said, BCW’s engagement builds on a 2024 MOU between ASEDC and critical minerals partners. We are bringing that work to the next level, connecting serious investors and strategic partners from Korea and across Asia directly to the territory. Korea’s experience in deep-sea resource development, precision manufacturing, and battery supply chain integration makes it a natural partner for what American Samoa is building.
ASEDC Executive Director John Wasko put it well: “Don has been a committed partner. Having BCW’s full investor network behind this effort is a meaningful step forward.”
I share that view. The mission has always been clear, helping American Samoa realize its extraordinary potential as a strategic source of critical minerals. What has changed is the urgency and the scale of interest we are seeing from the investor community.
The opportunity in front of American Samoa is that the minerals beneath its waters are not going anywhere. But the geopolitical window, the convergence of US policy priorities, investor appetite for non-China supply alternatives, and a territory positioned to deliver, will not stay this favorable indefinitely.
The resources are there.
The strategic alignment is strong.
And the partners are at the table.
That is a foundation worth building on. And, as I note:
American Samoa Is Ready for Its Moment
Don Southerton is Founder & CEO of Bridging Culture Worldwide (BCW), an investor advisory and strategic consulting firm specializing in Korea and Asia cross-border business. BCW serves as an investor advisory partner to the American Samoa Economic Development Council. www.bridgingculture.com
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