Fri Apr 25 15:45:39 UTC 2025: ## Trump Defies International Law, Orders Accelerated Deep-Sea Mining
**Washington, D.C. – April 25, 2025** – President Donald Trump has issued an executive order dramatically accelerating deep-sea mining operations in both U.S. waters and international waters, sparking immediate condemnation from China and environmental groups. The order bypasses the International Seabed Authority (ISA), a UN body tasked with regulating deep-sea mining, citing a 1980 U.S. law granting the federal government permitting authority in international waters.
The White House claims the move will inject hundreds of billions of dollars into the U.S. economy, create 100,000 jobs, and counter China’s dominance in the rare earth minerals market. This assertion is based on estimates of retrieving over a billion metric tons of polymetallic nodules containing valuable minerals like manganese, cobalt, and nickel.
However, China’s foreign ministry has strongly denounced the move as a violation of international law, arguing that no nation should unilaterally authorize such activities. Environmental groups echo these concerns, warning of potentially catastrophic ecological damage to one of Earth’s most fragile ecosystems. The Center for Biological Diversity’s Emily Jeffers called the policy “an environmental disaster in the making.”
The ISA, currently working to establish environmental safeguards and a fair regulatory framework for deep-sea mining, has yet to formally respond. The decision also comes as the American firm Impossible Metals has requested U.S. permission to mine within U.S. territory, while Canadian firm The Metals Company plans to seek U.S. approval for mining in international waters, welcoming Trump’s order. The order directs the Secretary of Commerce to expedite the licensing process within 60 days. The global race for these critical minerals and the resulting geopolitical tensions remain at the forefront of this contentious issue.
First Piper 