Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Maduro: Tomorrow, a business meeting will be held bringing together hundreds of entrepreneurs from advanced Russian industries with hundreds of Venezuelan businesspeople.
Maduro: In the face of threats, Trinidad and Tobago agreed to suspend all effects of the energy agreement and everything that had been agreed upon in that regard.
Maduro: It’s time to make a choice, either stand with the warmongers who want death and violence, or stand with life.
Maduro: They want our wealth. This is not about drug trafficking, and they know it.
Maduro: Everyone in the world knows that what the economic elite ruling the United States seeks today is Venezuela’s oil, gas, and gold.
Maduro: The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago is complicit and promoting war due to her personal, physical, mental, and moral weaknesses.
President Nicolás Maduro: A series of arrests have been carried out against what could be a group of mercenaries trained and funded by the CIA.
President Nicolás Maduro: Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world, and no one will be able to remove us from the global energy equation.
Palestinian media: Israeli vehicles fire at eastern Gaza City.
Al-Qassam Brigades: We will hand over the body of one of the occupation prisoners that was exhumed today in the Gaza Strip at 9 pm Gaza time.

Trump signs executive order to expedite deep-sea mining in US

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 25 Apr 2025 15:54
  • 1 Shares
4 Min Read

US President Donald Trump advances deep-sea mining under an executive order, bypassing global rules to secure rare earth minerals, as China imposes export controls and warns of environmental harm.

Listen
  • x
  • President Donald Trump arrives at Leesburg Executive Airport on Marine One in Leesburg, Va., Thursday, April 24, 2025 (AP)US President Donald Trump arrives at Leesburg Executive Airport on Marine One in Leesburg, Va., Thursday, April 24, 2025 (AP)

US President Donald Trump has disregarded international norms by pushing for the rapid expansion of deep-sea mining in both domestic and international waters, prompting Beijing to angrily condemn the move as a violation of international law.

Trump has issued an executive order to accelerate deep-sea mining operations, seeking to position the United States as a leader in extracting mineral-rich seabed resources. This move aims to bypass international regulatory frameworks and environmental safeguards, provoking sharp criticism from Beijing, which views the decision as a breach of international law.

White House officials argue that deep-sea mining could generate hundreds of billions of dollars for the US economy while countering China’s control over rare earth minerals. However, critics warn that the plan undermines the efforts of the International Seabed Authority, which has worked for decades to establish fair industry standards and protect marine ecosystems.

The United States, not a signatory to the treaty recognizing the Authority's jurisdiction over international seabeds, is invoking a 1980 law allowing the federal government to grant mining permits beyond national waters. Trump's executive order mandates that the commerce secretary fast-track permits for exploration and extraction, with a 60-day review period.

"No country should bypass the International Seabed Authority and international law and arbitrarily authorise exploration and development activities," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told AFP, emphasizing that "The US authorisation of exploration and exploitation of mineral resources on its so-called outer continental shelf violates international law and harms the overall interests of the international community."

Related News

Venezuela moves to suspend energy agreements with Trinidad and Tobago

US cargo plane lands in Syria base as IOF escalate Quneitra breaches

Deep-sea mining causes ecological damage

Environmental groups have voiced strong opposition to Trump's push for rapid deep-sea mining, citing serious ecological risks. While commercial operations are still in early development stages, the US is aggressively expanding its capacity to harvest rare earth minerals vital for national security and high-tech industries, aiming to reduce dependence on China.

Experts caution that disrupting deep-sea ecosystems, which are among the least understood on Earth, could have irreversible consequences. Emily Jeffers from the Center for Biological Diversity warned that hastening into seabed mining risks an environmental catastrophe, threatening fragile marine habitats.

Amid these concerns, US-based company Impossible Metals has requested permission to begin mining in the Pacific Ocean near American Samoa, intensifying the debate over balancing resource security with environmental responsibility.

China controls US access to rare earths

On April 4, Beijing introduced new export controls on rare earth minerals in retaliation against US tariff policies. The restrictions affect elements critical to defense and medicine, including gadolinium, lutetium, yttrium, and terbium. These minerals are essential for technologies ranging from MRI imaging to advanced weapon systems.

China, which produced 70% of the world’s rare earth minerals in 2022, remains the dominant global supplier. The US, highly reliant on Chinese imports, accounting for 74% of its rare earth supply between 2018 and 2021, faces growing vulnerability amid tightening restrictions.

Polymetallic nodules, which resemble potato-sized pebbles and are found on the ocean floor at depths ranging from 13,000 to 20,000 feet (4,000 to 6,000 meters), contain valuable metals such as manganese, iron, cobalt, copper, and nickel, making them a critical seabed resource for industrial and technological applications.

While some US healthcare firms report stable supplies due to diversified sourcing, analysts warn of potential shortages if export curbs persist. Meanwhile, Washington is primarily concerned with national security, as rare earth minerals are indispensable for producing drones, radar, and missile guidance systems.

  • United States
  • rare earth minerals
  • China
  • Deep Sea Mining
  • Donald Trump

Most Read

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

  • Technology
  • 24 Oct 2025
Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

  • Politics
  • 27 Oct 2025
Abu Hamza, the spokesperson for the Al-Quds Brigades, during a speech televised on October 22, 2025 (Al-Quds Brigades Military Media)

Al-Quds Brigades' Abu Hamza mourns leaders, vows continued resistance

  • Politics
  • 22 Oct 2025
US missionary kidnapped in Niger capital, suspected taken toward Mali

US missionary kidnapped in Niger capital, suspected taken toward Mali

  • Africa
  • 23 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Delta Air Lines flight lands at Harry Reid International Airport, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Las Vegas (AP)
Politics

Nearly 3,800 US flights disrupted amid ongoing government shutdown

FILE - The Amazon logo is pictured at the Amazon Robotic Sorting Fulfillment Center in Madison County, Miss., Aug. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
Economy

Amazon to cut 30,000 jobs in largest layoff in company history

Eurofighter Typhoon Spain's Air Force fighter jets fly above the military parade marking 'Día de la Hispanidad', or Hispanic Day, in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP)
Politics

UK sells 20 Eurofighter jets to Türkiye in £8bn defense agreement

Smoke billows after drone strikes by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted the northern port in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, Sudan, May 6, 2025 (AP)
Politics

RSF tightens El Fasher siege as Sudan risks fragmentation: Reuters

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS