On April 24, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order titled “Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources”, laying the foundation for the responsible development of seabed mineral resources—materials crucial for producing advanced technologies in defense, energy, and infrastructure. This Executive Order declares for the first time that it is the policy of the United States government to accelerate the responsible development of seabed mineral resources and initiates immediate actions to achieve that vision.

With the World Bank projecting a 450% increase in demand for critical minerals by 2050, the United States faces a crucial choice: lead in securing its mineral future or risk falling behind—especially as meeting this demand without action could require opening over 300 new land-based mines by 2035. Land-based mines have significant human rights and environmental costs, as shown by the nickel mines in Indonesia and the cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

At Impossible Metals, we believe this executive order will establish a national direction for responsibly advancing seabed mineral development and reducing our dependence on foreign suppliers, especially those with weaker environmental and human rights practices or that use their control over the mineral supply chain to influence geopolitics.

Why This Executive Order Matters

Seabed mining offers the opportunity to meet growing mineral demand responsibly, domestically, and securely. The executive order establishes a framework comprising seven key provisions:

  1. Faster Permitting: Making it quicker and easier to review and approve seabed mineral projects will help the U.S. move forward more efficiently and effectively, without compromising transparency or environmental protection. Earlier this month, Impossible Metals officially requested that the federal government begin the leasing process for critical minerals in domestic waters—an ambition directly supported by this Executive Order.
  2. Seabed Mapping and Resource Assessment: Developing a national strategy to map and assess seabed resources within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), identifying key minerals vital for defense, manufacturing, and energy.
  3. Federal Coordination: Cross-agency collaboration will reduce bureaucratic hurdles and foster innovation across the public and private sectors.
  4. Global Leadership and International Partnerships: The U.S. must lead by example, supporting responsible seabed development in collaboration with allies while countering China’s growing dominance in this area.
  5. Domestic Processing Capabilities: Beyond extraction, we must process and refine minerals domestically to build a resilient supply chain.
  6. Stockpile Strategy: Prioritizing seabed-derived materials for our national defense stockpile ensures readiness and long-term strategic advantage. It also incentivizes building domestic processing facilities. (Two weeks ago, Impossible Metals wrote a blog post on why this approach makes sense.)
  7. Financing for Deep-Sea Mining: Leveraging public tools—such as grants, loans, and the Defense Production Act—will help scale the domestic industry and ensure competitiveness.

Why the Time Is Now

Seabed mining is not a matter of “if”—it’s “when.” The only real question is whether the U.S. will lead or lag.

If we choose to lead, we have the opportunity to build this industry with the highest environmental and ethical standards, setting a global precedent for how seabed resources should be managed. If we delay, we risk ceding this critical domain to countries that do not share those values.

At Impossible Metals, we are committed to advancing responsible, low-impact seabed mining technologies that support both the planet and prosperity. This executive order represents a significant step toward advancing responsible and sustainable mining, both domestically and globally.

The U.S. is acting now to ensure a secure, sustainable, and sovereign path forward in the race for critical minerals. Impossible Metals is ready to play a significant role. Let’s get to work.

For the full text of the executive order, please visit the official White House website: Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources. The White House fact sheet is here.