Trump's Executive Order Sparks Seabed Mining Gold Rush

#Trump’s Order on #Seabed Mining for #CriticalMinerals: A New Gold Rush – #thejapantimes

Posted on July 22, 2025 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

An underwater mining vehicle with an American flag, operating among coral formations and bubbles in the Pacific Ocean.

In April, President Donald Trump issued an executive order expediting U.S. licensing of seabed mining, departing from international law to unleash what the administration called a “gold rush” to “counter China’s growing influence.” The country is set to conduct ISA-sanctioned tests of two seabed mining machines in the Pacific over the next year.

Within days of Trump’s order, Canadian-registered TMC’s U.S. subsidiary filed the world’s first application to mine the seabed in international waters, including an area it licenses from the ISA. An $85 million investment from a leading Korean metals processor soon followed.