
Trump sets first-ever auction of US deep-sea mining rights
The Trump Administration on Oct. 19 announced an auction of deep-sea mining leases off the coast of American Samoa, the first-ever offering of offshore mining leases by the U.S. government. If the Nov. 19 auction of roughly 31 million acres of ocean floor leads to the envisioned extraction, it would comprise the first-ever deep-sea mining in the world. The ocean floor off of Samoa could contain rich deposits of critical minerals essential for sustainable energy production. Launching deep sea mining
