U.S. deep-sea mining license application by The Metals Company

In a major step for U.S. mineral strategy, The Metals Company (TMC USA) submitted the nation’s first-ever application for commercial seabed mining in international waters. The firm seeks to extract polymetallic nodules rich in nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese from a 25,160 km² area in the Clarion–Clipperton Zone. This move follows an April 2025 executive order by President Trump to fast-track strategic mineral permitting. TMC positions itself as a U.S. leader in offshore critical minerals, citing over a decade of environmental research and seabed tech. If approved, the project could shift global supply dynamics now dominated by China.