Trump Orders Deep-Sea Mining Push

Published APR 25 2025

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Above: Offshore oil production, aerial view of drillship at Bacia de Campos ( Campos Basin ), Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, on May 19, 2019. Image credit: BrazilPhotos/Contributor/Brazil Photos/LightRocket via Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

Deep-sea mining represents a crucial opportunity to secure America's mineral independence from China's dominance, support national security, and create thousands of high-paying jobs across multiple industries while utilizing proven offshore technology capabilities. This will strengthen the U.S. economy.

The White House

Establishment-critical narrative

The unilateral move to mine the seabed threatens to destroy fragile deep-sea ecosystems that scientists barely understand, potentially causing irreversible damage to marine food chains and biodiversity while undermining international cooperation on ocean governance.

Common Dreams