Trump's Deep Sea Mining Order: The Manufacturing Impact
Deep in the ocean, where sunlight barely reaches, lies a vast and largely unexplored territory with huge potential for energy resources.
It is estimated that only 20% of the deep sea has been explored, leaving the majority still untapped.
Among its hidden riches are polymetallic nodules, rich in minerals such as cobalt, nickel and rare earth elements — all crucial to the energy and technology industries.
Trump signs order to boost deep sea mining
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to expand deep sea mining and increase the country’s access to these vital minerals.
The order, titled Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources, was signed on 24 April 2025.
It reads: “Our Nation must take immediate action to accelerate the responsible development of seabed mineral resources, quantify the Nation’s endowment of seabed minerals, reinvigorate American leadership in associated extraction and processing technologies and ensure secure supply chains for our defence, infrastructure and energy sectors.”
“These resources are key to strengthening our economy, securing our energy future and reducing dependence on foreign suppliers for critical minerals.”
What these minerals can be used for
The minerals extracted from polymetallic nodules are vital to a wide range of sectors, including green technology, aerospace and healthcare.
Critical minerals like nickel, cobalt, manganese and lithium are essential for manufacturing rechargeable batteries.
They also underpin grid-scale energy storage solutions, helping to integrate intermittent renewable energy through advanced battery chemistries such as lithium-ion.
Essential metals like copper, germanium and rare earth elements are used in producing computer displays, wiring, fibre optics and night vision devices.
These minerals also support construction and aerospace industries by serving as key materials in stainless steel and superalloy production.
In renewable energy, solar panels rely on metals like copper and tellurium, often sourced from these seabed nodules.
Emerging technologies such as hydrogen energy depend on these elements too, with nickel playing a crucial role in electrolysers for green hydrogen production and fuel cell technologies.
Why there are concerns about deep sea mining
The idea of extracting these resources from the ocean’s depths raises serious environmental concerns.
Harvesting these nodules could lead to the destruction of fragile habitats.
Jeff Watters, Vice President for External Affairs at environmental group Ocean Conservancy, said in a statement: “Areas of the US seafloor where test mining took place over 50 years ago still haven’t fully recovered.”
“The harm caused by deep-sea mining isn’t restricted to the ocean floor: it will impact the entire water column, top to bottom, and everyone and everything relying on it.
“Evidence tells us that areas targeted for deep-sea mining often overlap with important fisheries, raising serious concerns about the impacts on the country’s US$321bn fishing industry.”
Several countries, including the UK, Germany, France and Sweden, have voiced support for a moratorium on deep sea mining until further research and regulation are in place.
Corporate giants like Google, Samsung and Volvo have pledged not to source minerals from the seabed.
Sian Owen, Executive Director of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, says: "Deep-sea mining presents major environmental, climate and economic risks, all for highly uncertain benefits.
"This is not a smart deal - it’s a gamble that would leave investors isolated on the wrong side of history."
Guo Jiakun, a Foreign Ministry Spokesperson for China, said that the area of seabed covered by this executive order “goes beyond the limit of national jurisdiction”.
“The legal status and the exploitation and exploration regime of the international seabed are universally recognised and followed through in international practice.”
China currently dominates the production of materials that can be found in polymetallic nodules.
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