Donald Trump has signed a contentious executive order aimed at ramping up deep-sea mining operations both within U.S. waters and international waters. This decision has sparked condemnation from China, which argues that the move “violates” international law.
The executive order, issued Thursday, is part of a broader strategy to increase U.S. access to critical minerals used in industries such as aerospace, green technology, and healthcare. The deep sea is known to contain billions of tonnes of polymetallic nodules rich in vital minerals like cobalt and rare earth elements.
The U.S. order seeks to “establish the United States as a global leader in responsible seabed mineral exploration” and is seen as bypassing ongoing United Nations negotiations over how resources in international waters should be shared. Countries, including China, have delayed issuing mining permits until a global framework is agreed upon.
China, which dominates the global production of rare earths and critical metals, criticized the U.S. decision, with foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun stating that the U.S. authorization “violates international law and harms the overall interests of the international community.”
Trump’s administration aims to expedite the process of issuing exploration licenses and recovery permits for seabed mining in both U.S. waters and areas beyond national jurisdiction. The administration projects that deep-sea mining could contribute $300 billion to the U.S. GDP over the next decade and create 100,000 jobs.
However, many countries, including members of the European Union and the United Kingdom, are calling for a moratorium on deep-sea mining until further scientific research can address its environmental impact. Environmental groups, such as Ocean Conservancy, have expressed serious concerns about the potential harm to marine life, with Jeff Watters warning that deep-sea mining “will impact the entire water column, top to bottom.”
Despite these concerns, mining company The Metals Company (TMC) is already in talks with the U.S. government about obtaining the necessary permits. TMC CEO Gerard Barron has indicated that mining could begin by the end of the year. While some in the industry dispute the environmental concerns, arguing that the abyssal zone of the ocean is sparsely populated with life, scientific studies have shown that the long-term ecological impacts of such mining could be devastating.
A recent study by the Natural History Museum and the National Oceanography Centre highlighted the long-term damage from deep-sea mining, finding that some marine species could recover, but larger animals might not, due to the inability of polymetallic nodules to regenerate quickly.
Source: Swifteradio.com
