US President Donald Trump issued a new Executive Order (EO) expediting the process of exploring and mining for valuable minerals found on the deep ocean seafloor, in both US and international waters. According to the EO, is the policy of the United States to advance United States leadership in seabed mineral development by:

• rapidly developing domestic capabilities for the exploration, characterization, collection, and processing of seabed mineral resources through streamlined permitting without compromising environmental and transparency standards;

• supporting investment in deep sea science, mapping, and technology;

• enhancing coordination among executive departments and agencies (agencies) with respect to seabed mineral development activities described in this order;

• establishing the United States as a global leader in responsible seabed mineral exploration, development technologies, and practices, and as a partner for countries developing seabed mineral resources in areas within their national jurisdictions, including their Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ);

• creating a robust domestic supply chain for critical minerals derived from seabed resources to support economic growth, reindustrialization, and military preparedness, including through new processing capabilities; and

• strengthening partnerships with allies and industry to counter China’s growing influence over seabed mineral resources and to ensure United States companies are well-positioned to support allies and partners interested in developing seabed minerals responsibly in areas within their national jurisdictions, including their EEZs.

The order directs the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, expedite the process for reviewing and issuing seabed mineral exploration licenses and commercial recovery permits in areas beyond national jurisdiction under the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act.

A report to the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, the Chair of the National Energy Dominance Council, and the Vice Chair of the National Energy Dominance Council is to identify:

• private sector interest and opportunities for seabed mineral resource exploration, mining, and environmental monitoring in the United States Outer Continental Shelf; in areas beyond national jurisdiction; and in areas within the national jurisdictions of certain other nations that express interest in partnering with United States companies on seabed mineral development; and

• private sector interest and opportunities for polymetallic nodule and other seabed mineral resource processing capacity in the United States or on United States-flagged vessels; and

• in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Interior, and the heads of other relevant agencies, and in cooperation with commercial and other non-governmental organizations, develop a plan to map priority areas of the seabed, such as those with abundant or accessible undersea resources, in order to accelerate data collection and characterization, prioritizing areas within the United States Outer Continental Shelf.

The Secretary of the Interior is to:

• establish an expedited process for reviewing and approving permits for prospecting and granting leases for exploration, development, and production of seabed mineral resources within the United States Outer Continental Shelf under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. The expedited process, consistent with applicable law, should ensure efficiency, predictability, and competitiveness for American companies; and

• identify which critical minerals may be derived from seabed resources and coordinate with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Energy to indicate which critical minerals are essential for applications such as defense infrastructure, manufacturing, and energy.

The Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Secretary of Energy, is to:

• engage with key partners and allies to offer support for seabed mineral resource exploration, extraction, processing, and environmental monitoring in areas within the national jurisdictions of those partners and allies, including by seeking scientific collaboration and commercial development opportunities for United States companies, and by developing a prioritized list of countries for engagement; and

• provide a joint report to the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, the Chair of the National Energy Dominance Council, and the Vice Chair of the National Energy Dominance Council on the feasibility of an international benefit-sharing mechanism for seabed mineral resource extraction and development that occurs in areas beyond the national jurisdiction of any country.

The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Energy are to:

• provide a report to the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, the Chair of the National Energy Dominance Council, and the Vice Chair of the National Energy Dominance Council that addresses the feasibility and any potential benefits or drawbacks of using the National Defense Stockpile for physical or virtual storage of materials derived from seabed polymetallic nodules and of entering offtake agreements for these materials;

• in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, review and revise existing regulations, consistent with applicable law, to support domestic processing capabilities for seabed mineral resources, and explore the use of grant and loan authorities, the Defense Production Act, and other procurement and financing authorities for this purpose; and

• ensure the Strategic and Critical Materials Board of Directors considers seabed mineral resource developments when recommending a strategy for ensuring a secure supply of materials designated as critical to national security to the Secretary of Defense under the Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act.

The Chief Executive Officer of the United States International Development Finance Corporation, the President of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Director of the Trade and Development Agency, and the heads of other relevant agencies are to provide a joint report to the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, the Chair of the National Energy Dominance Council, and the Vice Chair of the National Energy Dominance Council that identifies tools to support domestic and international seabed mineral resource exploration, extraction, processing, and environmental monitoring.

Global seabed mineral prospective regions, including those that occur within the US Exclusive Economic Zone. USGS.

USGS seafloor mineral science. The US Geological Survey (USGS), which is part of the Department of the Interior, also released a factsheet on the potential for critical minerals on the global seafloor.

According to the USGS, minerals can be found in every ocean basin, from the coastal zone to the deep ocean. In the deep ocean, exploration is ongoing for polymetallic nodules, polymetallic sulfides, and cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts. These minerals are considered a potential future source of many elements, including some elements that are designated as critical minerals, including nickel, cobalt, and manganese. These minerals are crucial components in stainless steel, superalloys, and batteries. The rare earth elements and yttrium, often abbreviated as REY, are a group of 17 elements. Two of these, neodymium and dysprosium, are used in permanent magnets and lasers.