The Metals Company seeks Trump’s approval for deep-sea mining in the Pacific

In a significant move within the mining sector, The Metals Company, founded in 2011 and led by CEO Gerard Barron since 2017, aims to become the first to mine beneath the Pacific Ocean. The area of interest, located in international waters, is estimated by the U.S. Geological Survey to contain more nickel and cobalt than all terrestrial reserves combined. In light of these findings, The Metals Company has applied for regulatory approval from the Trump administration, marking a pivotal moment in U.S. mining history as it will be the first instance that federal agencies have considered such a project. Despite the potential for substantial mineral extraction, there is considerable international concern regarding sovereignty over these resources, as many other countries argue that they do not belong to the United States to mine. The project is being pursued even as calls for a moratorium on deep-sea mining increase, with numerous marine researchers warning of the potential environmental damage such activities might incur. This latest effort taps into a broader discussion of critical minerals, particularly in the context of U.S.-China relations, where the United States is looking to secure its supply chains of essential resources. The urgency to ensure reliable access to these minerals is compounded by geopolitical tensions and rising competition for maritime resources, prompting the U.S. and its Indo-Pacific partners, including Australia, India, and Japan, to strengthen their cooperation on this front.