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Critical minerals such as cobalt, nickel, copper and manganese can be found in the nodules of potato size at the bottom of the sea.
Palaga Bogla | Corbis News | Gets the image
US president Donald Trump‘s Critical minerals It looks ready to pave the way to the golden tide on the ocean floor.
Seeking to resist Chinese The dominance of mineralsTrump administration in April signed A wide executive order for a quick way Deep sea mining Inside the US and international waters.
This step is designed to help private companies access billions of tons of potato sizes known as polymetal nodules that are rich in strategically important minerals.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the USA, State Agency, welcomes Trump’s announcement, saying The executive order heralds “Next Gold Peak” and put the land for “flowering home production industry”.
However, unilateral Washington’s support for mining is deeply seen as very controversial, but critics designate legal and surrounding environmental Problems. Chinese Foreign Ministry convict Trump executive order, saying that “violates” international law and “harms the collective interests” of the international community.
Reflecting on the modern state of the industry, Metal Company (TMC) CEO Gerard Barron said, “It becomes alive.”
I think this order will shake the geopolitical fee.
Maria Jose (my) Walverde
Analyst biodiversity and sustainable development in Eurosia Group
Tmc quickly followed Trump executive order, applying for a commercial license for the ocean floor. When approved, a company that lists the NASDAQ, may become the first mining firm with a sea bottom that has been licensed to operate minerals in international waters.
“The only thing that this administration offers is a certainty in the direction, and I think the only problem we have always encountered is a normative certainty – and it is inaccessible to ISA. But it is abundant in the US,” said Barron CNBC by video.
In response to the TMC application for a license for my US internal legislation, an international seabed (ISA), a little -known UN regulator that controls the deep sea mining – Note What remains the only legal authority to regulate the seabed in international waters.
And although the company “Free to express its views”, ISA warned that any attempt to bypass this process “would be a violation of international law”.
Gerard Barron, chairman and CEO of Metals, hopes that his company will be able to extract the seabed for nickel, cobalt, manganese in the Pacific.
Carolina Cole | Los -Angeles Times | Gets the image
ISA negotiators have long sought to develop rules to regulate the operation and production of polymetal nodules and other fields on the ocean floor – before the production.
Secretary -General Isa Riatia Cailed said CNBC Last year, it is possible to agree on some form of regulation for the end of 2025 for the member states.
“Phenomenal” interest in the investor
Barron TMC disputed the ISA temporary scale for mining, saying that this year there is no chance of an international agreement. He described the investor’s interest after Trump’s executive order as a “like night” for the company, while TMC is currently increasing efforts to prepare production.
“We are believers. We were convinced that in the end we would decide in one way or another. But the interest in the investor after the executive order … was phenomenal,” Barron said.
The practice of mining the deep sea involves the use of machines to remove minerals and metals like cobalt, nickel, copper and manganese-from the seabed. The final use of these minerals is widely and includes applications for protection and green technology sectors.
A pilot transport vehicle designed by Allseas for use by Metals. Photo provided by Metals.
Photo by Metals Company’s courtesy
Indeed, along with the onslaught of safety and production of supply chains, they say that mining production can help reduce the dependence of large mining operations on land.
Meanwhile, scientists warn that the complete impact on the sea floor production in the environment is difficult to predict, while ecological groups say practice cannot be done steadily.
Barron TMC which is recently testified At the US Congress hearings, the company intended that the company intends to submit a statement on the environment to the regulator, noting that it “finally indicates that we can do it safely and we can minimize the impact.”
“What people missed is what is zero like that it won’t happen,” Barron said. He added that the company is convinced that he would receive permission for the seabed by the end of the year.
Geopolitical consequences
Maria Jose (Mayo) Walverde, Biodiversity and Sustainability Analyst at Eurosia Group, political risk consultations, said US support in deep sea mining may have deep geopolitical consequences.
“I think this order is shaking geopolitical. The US has already made it in the climate space Exit to the Paris Agreement And I think it is now united in wider environmental processes, “Valverde said.
In particular, the Trump executive order may encourage the Member ISA to finally reach the transaction on the formalization of the mining code, said Valverde, especially given that the UN has now effectively reported to avoid the race to the lower part of the ocean.
“If you have a US that pursues this strategy” go on it alone “, other countries can coordinate, for example, either avoid the acquisition of minerals in the United States, or agree on more favorable transactions – especially in China because they are really active in ISA talks,” Valverde said.
Trump’s executive order “has expanded the panorama of options that can chase countries, especially now that multibarism is blurred and that we are on Wednesday G-Zero, where countries look at their back yard-and they become more creative in what they are ready to consider,” she added.
Legal and environmental problems
Daniel Fugger, the president and the chief lawyer you sow, a group of shareholders’ propaganda said Trump’s executive order is “deeply concerned” by the United States.
“Whatever the United States does, it is necessary to conduct a regulatory inspection. In order for Trump to issue an executive order that requires it right away, it is problematic,” said Fuger CNBC by video.
“I think it creates a storm. China says it is illegal, and the Sea Law must manage the deep seas of resources that should benefit all humanity, and this is actually what requires the Sea.
Environmental activists calling for an international deep sea mining moratorium.
Images Sopa | LightRockket | Gets the image
Of course, the US is one of the few countries that did not ratify the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
As you sow that supports mining deep sea moratoriumHe said that Trump’s order means that Member States are now under intensive pressure to come up with a regulatory basis for how-and-collar the deep-sea must go forward.
“We are very concerned about this executive order and influence, which probably has on these organisms, these resources and fishing countries that depend on the oceans for their livelihood,” Fugge said.
