In his latest move to secure supplies of critical raw materials, the US president has instructed federal officials to expedite the opening u
In his latest move to secure supplies of critical raw materials, the US president has instructed federal officials to expedite the opening up of America’s continental shelf to mining companies, and in a potentially explosive move, wants to allow US firms to mine in international waters. Although expected, Trump’s executive order on “unleashing” America’s offshore critical minerals and resources means the US is poised to extend the global scramble for critical minerals like lithium and rare earth metals to the high seas, while the majority of countries are still negotiating rules on how to ensure mining is done safely and without potentially massive environmental destruction. “The United States faces unprecedented economic and national security challenges in securing reliable supplies of critical minerals independent of foreign adversary control,” runs the preamble to the president’s 139th executive order since taking office in January. China is specifically named later in the document. The order, published on Thursday, requires government officials to assess “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”. The scale of Trump’s ambition goes well beyond that of Norway, which last year announced its own plans – now shelved after a backlash by environmentalists – to open up swathes of its Arctic territorial waters to exploration by mining firms.
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