US deep-sea mining claims in high seas rival international regulator's area

· Climate · United States

Companies have been applying to the United States for deep-sea mining rights in international waters since the Trump administration issued a 2025 executive order calling for the U.S. to develop its deep-sea mining sector, Mongabay reports. The area now covered by U.S. claims in the Pacific's high seas rivals the total area set aside by the International Seabed Authority, the U.N.-associated body that has long managed mining-related activity in international waters. The shift creates a parallel licensing track outside the ISA framework, raising questions about which rules would govern extraction on the high seas. It comes as demand for critical minerals used in batteries and electronics puts pressure on regulators to open new sources of supply.

Why it matters：A U.S. licensing route outside the ISA framework could fragment the legal regime for the seabed and accelerate extraction of critical minerals, with consequences for miners, regulators and marine science.

Key points

  • The U.S. route stems from a 2025 executive order on developing deep-sea mining.
  • U.S. claims in the Pacific high seas now rival the ISA's set-aside area in size.
  • The ISA is a U.N.-associated body that has long managed international-waters mining activity.

Sources (original reporting)

More stories from this day