Trump signs order to ramp up U.S. deep-sea mining

Trump defies international norms, pushes for deep-sea mining to boost US economy, angering Beijing and environmentalists.

U.S. President Donald Trump has defied international norms and instructed a quick start to deep-sea mining in domestic waters and beyond, sparking an angry warning from Beijing that the move "violates international law."

Washington wants to lead efforts to scoop up mineral-rich deep-sea nodules and other material from the seabed, sidestepping an international regulatory effort and overriding the concerns of environmentalists.

White House aides say it could pump hundreds of billions of dollars into the American economy, and counter Beijing's chokehold on key minerals.

But it would also undermine decades of efforts by global regulators at the International Seabed Authority to devise a level playing field and environmental protections for the industry.

The United States never ratified the agreements that empower the ISA's jurisdiction over seabeds in international waters, and is not a member of the UN-affiliated body.

Instead, the Trump administration is "relying on an obscure 1980 law that empowers the federal government to issue seabed mining permits in international waters," the New York Times reported.

The ISA did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment.