The Metals Company to Seek US Deep-Sea Mining Permits

The Metals Company

The Metals Company moves to secure U.S. licenses for Pacific seabed mining, challenging UN authority over deep-sea resources.

U.S. Exploration Bid Sparks Global Governance Tensions

The Metals Company, a Canadian miner, plans to apply for deep-sea mining permits from the U.S. Department of Commerce. This move targets the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), a 1.7 million mi² seabed in the Pacific Ocean rich in polymetallic nodules. These nodules contain high-value resources like manganese, nickel, cobalt, and rare earth elements.

The company is seeking licenses under the U.S. Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act of 1980. This law allows NOAA to issue mining permits for areas outside national jurisdictions. However, this action bypasses the United Nations' International Seabed Authority (ISA), which claims global governance over seabed resources.

ISA Pushback and Regulatory Uncertainty

The ISA’s Secretary-General Leticia Carvahlo strongly criticized the move during the agency’s 30th annual session. She reiterated the ISA’s jurisdiction over all deep-sea mineral exploration activities under international law.

The Metals Company previously held three ISA exploration licenses and had planned to apply for commercial rights. But delays in finalizing ISA’s exploitation regulations pushed the company toward seeking unilateral U.S. approval instead. NOAA has never issued a commercial seabed mining license, though it currently holds two active exploration licenses from 1984.

The ISA has issued 31 exploration permits globally but is still working on a regulatory framework. This includes establishing benefit-sharing mechanisms and environmental oversight, key points of contention among ISA members. In the past, ISA has even blocked activity in areas NOAA had approved by labeling them “environmental interest zones.”

The Metalnomist Commentary

The Metals Company’s pivot toward U.S. permits may redefine seabed mining governance. If successful, it could fracture multilateral oversight and prompt other nations or firms to seek alternative legal routes. With the critical minerals race intensifying, seabed politics may become as contested as the resources themselves.