On Thursday April 25, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to fast-track permits for deep-sea mining operations, aiming to challenge China’s broad access to critical seabed mineral resources such as nickel, copper, and manganese. The order authorizes extraction both within US waters and international waters beyond national jurisdiction, and has prompted international skepticism.
Deep-sea mining remains one of the most controversial forms of resource extraction because it can cause permanent damage to marine ecosystems. “The United States government has no right to unilaterally allow an industry to destroy the common heritage of humankind, and rip up the deep sea for the profit of a few corporations,” said Arlo Hemphill, a Greenpeace advocate and outspoken critic of the industry.
Supporters argue that it minimizes land-based mining conflicts by moving extraction underwater, easing the industrial strain on above-ground ecosystems. The executive order also framed seabed mining as a strategic necessity, supporting “economic growth, reindustrialization, and military preparedness,” while explicitly aiming to “counter China’s growing influence over seabed mineral resources.”
An estimated one billion metric tons of mineral encrusted rocks, known as nodules, lie scattered across the ocean floor. The minerals derived from nodules are used in the vast majority of modern technologies, including smartphones, computers, and batteries. Access to these rare earth materials has been a point of tension between the global superpowers, especially since the US heavily relies on Chinese supply chains. As access to seabed mineral resources has become more limited, the US has pivoted to prioritize domestic production of the materials.
However, the regulations surrounding the practice remain blurry. The International Seabed authority, an autonomous international organization established by the United Nations, has yet to standardize operations for deep-sea mining, leading practices to be inconsistent and often environmentally disruptive by generating dust clouds and noise pollution underwater.
Despite these concerns, the Trump administration claims that deep-sea resource extraction could add $300 million to the US GDP over the next decade and create 100,000 jobs, according to Reuters.
Within 24 hours of the announcement, shares of deep-sea mining company The Metals Company skyrocketed by 40%. Other companies, including Impossible Metals from California, JSC Yuzhmorgeologiya, and Blue Minerals Jamaica, are now considering their own paths to expansion.
