Trump Issues Executive Order Fast-Tracking Deep-Sea Mining in International Waters

President Donald Trump's administration has issued an executive order to fast-track deep-sea mining for critical minerals in U.S. and international waters, aiming to reduce dependence on China and stimulate a domestic manufacturing industry. This move, described by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as the start of 'the next gold rush,' has sparked international controversy, with China condemning it as a violation of international law and a threat to collective global interests. The International Seabed Authority (ISA), the U.N. body regulating seabed mining, maintains that it is the sole legal authority for mining activities in international waters, highlighting tensions over jurisdiction. The order challenges the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which treats the deep seabed as a global commons and aims to prevent conflicts over ocean resources. Critics warn that deep-sea mining poses significant environmental risks and could provoke geopolitical conflicts similar to historical maritime disputes. Meanwhile, companies like The Metals Company are rapidly pursuing mining licenses under the new U.S. directive, signaling a potentially transformative but contentious new chapter in ocean resource exploitation.