Trump administration sees deep-sea mining opportunity near American Samoa

In recent weeks, the Trump administration has found an opportunity in deep-sea mineral mining near the coast of American Samoa. After the signing of an executive order allowing the United States to take steps toward commercially mining the seafloor, the critical minerals located within the proximity of the islands have proven to be a significant opportunity for economic growth. Nickel and cobalt are two of the most valuable resources on the ocean floor and are used to create useful technology, such as batteries and superalloys. According to US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, “Critical minerals are fundamental to strengthening our nation’s resilience and safeguarding our national interests.”

In international affairs, this move from the Trump Administration is unprecedented, mainly as this move flies in the face of the International Seabed Authority, which was established in 1982 to regulate the underwater mining industry in international waters. Although the US never signed the convention establishing this global organization, they have often promoted and overseen many developments throughout the ISA’s subsequent development. Leticia Reis de Carvalho, secretary-general of the International Seabed Authority, has written, “No state has the right to unilaterally exploit the mineral resources of the area outside the legal framework established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea… It is common understanding that this prohibition is binding on all States, including those that have not ratified UNCLOS.”

While the US Department of the Interior is seeking input from American Samoan communities and mining experts, many believe that the potential for commercial seafloor mining is exploitative and damaging to the biodiversity of these habitats. The World Wildlife Fund has officially stated that “Deep-sea mining could exacerbate [environmental] pressures further, causing irreversible biodiversity loss, habitat destruction, sediment plumes, and the release of toxins and stored carbon.”

In American Samoa, deep-sea mining is increasingly likely following Trump’s executive order. Yet, many critics on the international stage warn of potential dangers. Consequently, seafloor mining remains a microcosm of the Trump Administration’s polarizing attempts to bring economic advantages to the US.