More than a year after his nomination, Jared Novelly — President Donald Trump’s pick to be the next U.S. ambassador to New Zealand, Niue, the Cook Islands and Samoa — moved a step closer to the post when he faced the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Friday and set out a Pacific agenda centred on defence and critical minerals.
Novelly told senators his top priorities would be promoting a “free and open Pacific”, expanding U.S. defence ties in the region and seizing business opportunities in critical minerals. He framed those goals as aligned with close partners such as New Zealand and singled out the Cook Islands as a potentially pivotal source of cobalt, saying under-Cook Islands waters may hold “possibly the largest cobalt deposit in the world.” “I see that as an extreme opportunity for the U.S to play its part,” he said.
At the hearing Novelly also criticised Chinese activity in Pacific waters, describing naval drills carried out by the Chinese navy in the Tasman Sea last February as “an example of alarming, even destabilising behaviour in the Pacific.” He argued such actions underscored the need for a stronger U.S. defence presence in the region and praised New Zealand and Samoa for cautious approaches to external financing, urging Pacific governments to protect their sovereignty when negotiating major deals.
Novelly’s remarks come amid a clear shift in U.S. policy toward securing mineral supplies. Nearly two months ago, Mr Trump signed an executive order declaring critical minerals a matter of U.S. national security and signalling a willingness to accelerate seabed mining permits and consider import restrictions if supply arrangements were not reached. The Trump administration has since intensified manoeuvres to access Pacific Exclusive Economic Zones that border the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a deep-seabed area long sought after for its polymetallic nodules.
The United States formally opened diplomatic relations with the Cook Islands in September 2023 and in October 2023 announced a “Strategic Framework for Critical Minerals Research and Supply Chain Security.” That non-legally binding agreement established a U.S.-Cook Islands Working Group to scout locations and begin initial talks with potential investors and contractors. Novelly told senators he would expand collaboration with local authorities to promote “responsible development” of seabed resources and to help build resilient supply chains that do not simply replicate existing global dependencies.
Novelly, a businessman formerly based in Sydney who owns Australian NBL team the Illawarra Hawks, told the committee he was struck by the extent of global reliance on cobalt refined in China and said diversifying sources was essential. BusinessDesk reported his family’s net worth at about US$1.2 billion as of March 2025. He also emphasised cultural sensitivity in dealings with Pacific nations, saying “the oceans are sacred to Pacific Islanders” and endorsing approaches that aim to marry development with environmental and cultural stewardship.
The hearing represents the latest development in a drawn-out confirmation process that began more than a year ago. Novelly now awaits a committee recommendation and full Senate confirmation before taking up the ambassadorial post. His testimony highlights how U.S. diplomatic appointments are being leveraged to advance commercial and security objectives in the Pacific as competition with China intensifies over resources and influence.
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