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International Seabed Authority

Trump Administration Orders Speed Development of Deep Sea Mining Industry

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered his administration to speed development of the deep sea mining industry, including in international waters governed by a U.N. treaty. This move aims to counter China's growing influence over seabed mineral resources. The deep sea mining policy threatens to upend an established part of the global order, as nations have sought to fashion a consensus on if and how deep sea minerals should be exploited. Trump's executive order emphasizes the importance of maintaining leadership in deep sea science and technology and seabed mineral resources for national security and economic interests.

Key Takeaways:

  • The U.S. has ordered its administration to speed development of the deep sea mining industry, including in international waters governed by a U.N. treaty.
  • The executive order aims to counter China's growing influence over seabed mineral resources, particularly the potato-sized nodules that contain rare earths and minerals such as nickel, cobalt, and manganese.
  • The deep sea mining policy threatens to upend an established part of the global order, as nations have sought to fashion a consensus on if and how deep sea minerals should be exploited.
  • Mining of the nodules has been touted by companies in the nascent industry as a source of minerals needed for green technologies, such as electric vehicles, that would reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
  • The ISA's secretary-general, Leticia Carvalho, has stated that any unilateral action by the U.S. would constitute a violation of international law and directly undermine the fundamental principles of multilateralism.
  • The U.S. has not signed the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, which is the enabling treaty for the ISA, and is only an observer at the authority.
  • The Metals Company, a Nasdaq-traded company, has been collaborating with the Pacific island nations of Nauru and Tonga to mine areas allocated to them in international waters of the Pacific Ocean.
  • The CEO of The Metals Company, Gerard Barron, has stated that the executive order marks a "pivotal return" to U.S. leadership in deep sea minerals.

Statistics:

  • About 54% of the seabed is under the ISA's jurisdiction.
  • The U.S. has not signed the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, which is the enabling treaty for the ISA.
  • 1980: The year in which The Metals Company was established.
  • 1996: The year in which the International Seabed Authority (ISA) was established.
  • Last month: The ISA's secretary-general, Leticia Carvalho, said that the authority was the "only universally recognized legitimate framework" for regulating mining in international waters.

Sources:

  • Radio Free Asia
  • The Metals Company
  • U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea
  • International Seabed Authority (ISA)
  • Trump Executive Order

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