The Trump administration is considering an executive order that would speed up deep-sea mining in international waters by allowing companies to circumvent a United Nations-backed review process, Reuters reported, citing two sources with direct knowledge of the deliberations.
The Context
Talks of the executive order come as The Metals Company (TMC) is pushing the Trump administration to open up deep-sea mining after repeatedly hitting international roadblocks.
According to The Verge, the island nation of Nauru initially backed TMC’s effort to start mining international waters for materials that can be used in rechargeable batteries.
But scientists and environmental groups have voiced concerns about the potential consequences of international deep-sea mining.
Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
What To Know
The International Seabed Authority (ISA), which was created by the UN in 1982, is currently deliberating over rules that would regulate international deep-sea mining.
But the U.S. has not ratified the convention that created the ISA and Trump’s executive order would likely make it easier for companies to bypass the international body by seeking permits from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), according to Reuters.
Trump has also repeatedly sought to tap into international mineral deposits and pledged during the 2024 campaign that he would dismantle environmental regulations and expand international drilling efforts.
TMC, meanwhile, formally asked Washington for deep-sea mining permits last week.
What People Are Saying
Trump said in his inaugural address: “We will bring prices down, fill our strategic reserves up again, right to the top, and export American energy all over the world. We will be a rich nation again and it is that liquid gold under our feet that will help to do it.”
Gerard Barron, the CEO of TMC, said last week: “We believe we have sufficient knowledge to get started and prove we can manage environmental risks. What we need is a regulator with a robust regulatory regime, and who is willing to give our application a fair hearing.”
The environmental group Greenpeace slammed TMC’s move, saying in a statement: “This is another of The Metals Company’s pathetic ploys and an insult to multilateralism. It shows that a moratorium on deep sea mining is more urgently needed than ever. It also proves that the company’s CEO Gerard Barron’s plans never focused on solutions for the climate catastrophe. As Greenpeace said at the very start of this ISA meeting, The Metals Company is desperate and now is encouraging a breach of customary international law by announcing their intent to mine the international seabed through the United States’ Deep Sea Hard Mineral Resources Act.”
What Happens Next
Reuters reported that the Trump administration is still deliberating over the executive order and that the plan has not yet been finalized.
