America’s national security and economic future are challenged as President Trump signed an executive order to advance deep-sea mining in U.S. and international waters.
The historic move will reduce dependency on foreign nations for critical minerals, create up to 100,000 American jobs, and add $300 billion to the economy.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order to unleash American dominance in deep-sea mining, targeting critical minerals like nickel, copper, and rare earth elements currently dominated by China.
The order expedites permits under the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act of 1980 and establishes a streamlined process for mining along the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.
With China imposing increasingly restrictive export controls on these essential materials, Trump’s action represents a direct challenge to Beijing’s mineral monopoly that threatens American security and prosperity.
The order directs the Secretary of Commerce to accelerate seabed mineral exploration licenses and commercial recovery permits within 60 days.
This positions America to tap into an estimated treasure trove of over 1 billion metric tons of polymetallic nodules in U.S. waters alone.
These mineral-rich deposits contain materials essential for electric vehicles, electronics, and defense applications.
By cutting bureaucratic red tape, Trump aims to jumpstart an industry that could boost GDP by $300 billion and create approximately 100,000 American jobs over the next decade.
At the same time, the order implements a comprehensive approach to securing America’s mineral future, including coordination with the Secretaries of Energy and Defense to identify critical minerals for defense, infrastructure, and energy purposes.
It also calls for a report on potential seabed exploration areas and collaboration with allies on resource sharing in international waters.
This strategic initiative comes at a crucial time when American access to critical minerals has declined sharply due to China’s aggressive export limitations, which have hampered U.S. industries and national defense capabilities.
The deep-sea mining initiative has already energized American industry, with shares of The Metals Company rising significantly following the announcement.
Companies are actively pursuing opportunities in U.S. waters, with Impossible Metals requesting a commercial auction for mineral deposits off American Samoa.
Furthermore, the proposal positions the U.S. to leapfrog over international bureaucracy that has stalled progress in this sector.
While the International Seabed Authority continues to debate standards for mining in international waters, Trump’s America-first approach ensures the country will not wait for permission to secure the economic future.
The administration’s decisive action starkly contrasts with the approach of globalist organizations and left-wing environmental groups.
The order asserts U.S. sovereignty and security priorities rather than subjecting American interests to international control.
“We want the US to get ahead of China in this resource space under the ocean, on the ocean bottom,” explained an administration official, highlighting the strategic imperative driving this policy.
Trump’s executive order builds on his administration’s previous successes in revitalizing American resource development, including fast-tracking permits for 10 mining projects and approving a large copper mine during his first term.
Although some nations like Norway, China, India, and Poland have aligned against the U.S. approach to deep-sea mining, Trump’s America-first policy prioritizes national interests over international objections.
The proposal also includes provisions to evaluate the use of the National Defense Stockpile for nodule-derived minerals and revise domestic processing capabilities, ensuring the nation can turn raw materials into finished products right here in America.
