Policy Details and Economic Implications
President Trump’s executive order aims to expedite offshore mining for critical materials, directing the Commerce Department to fast-track permits and setting up a process for seabed mining in U.S. waters by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
The initiative is positioned as a move to strengthen U.S. critical mineral supply chains, potentially creating 100,000 jobs and generating hundreds of billions in economic benefits over a decade, while also countering China's dominance in rare-earth minerals.
Environmental and International Repercussions
Environmentalists and over 30 countries have expressed concerns that deep-sea mining could irreparably harm marine ecosystems, with calls for a moratorium on the practice. Critics argue it could disrupt key marine habitats and the global effort to adopt international mining regulations.
The order has been criticized for potentially violating international law by bypassing the United Nations-affiliated International Seabed Authority, with China denouncing the move as breaking international law regarding areas of the sea floor that do not belong to any country.