Navigating the Legal Framework for US Offshore Mining Activities in the Wake of Trump’s Executive Order

On April 24, 2025, the president issued an government order titled “Unleashing America’s Offshore Vital Minerals and Sources,” geared toward accelerating the event of deep seabed mining in areas inside and past U.S. jurisdiction. Deep seabed mining (DSM) entails extracting mineral nodules—comparable to cobalt, nickel and manganese—from the ocean flooring, with the business’s present give attention to the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) and areas offshore American Samoa within the Pacific Ocean.