Legal Insurrection by Leslie Eastman 6/23/2025
Trump’s executive order allowing the U.S. to develop offshore resources may be among the most important of his administration.While I do write a great deal about space, I am also reminded that the ocean remains one of humanity’s last great frontiers.
Beneath its waves lie not only mysteries of biology and geology but also the possibility of untapped riches in the form of critical minerals, including rare earth elements essential for modern technology. As nations race to secure these resources, deep sea mining has emerged as a pivotal field of innovation and competition.
For the U.S., the imperative to develop robust rare earth mining and processing capabilities has never been more pressing. China’s overwhelming dominance of the global rare earth supply chain (controlling as much as 90% of production and nearly all processing) has exposed significant vulnerabilities in American industrial, technological, and national security infrastructure. Recent trade tensions and export restrictions imposed by Beijing have underscored the risks of over-reliance on a single supplier for materials vital to electric vehicles, defense systems, renewable energy, and advanced electronics.
In response, the U.S. is intensifying efforts to revive domestic production, invest in new mining and processing technologies, and forge international partnerships to diversify supply chains and reduce strategic dependence on China. I have previously covered some important strides being made in a recent post. In this piece, I want to take an in-depth look at deep sea mining.
The development of this industry, while fraught with uncertainty, offers a potential pathway for the U.S. to reclaim leadership in critical mineral supply and safeguard its economic and security interests in an era of escalating global competition. So while we must continue to reach for the stars, we can’t neglect more terrestrial opportunities.
The side of the earth you never see.
Center of the Pacific Ocean pic.twitter.com/9eeOtGuYMK
More:
https://legalinsurrection.com/2025/06/us-ramps-up-deep-sea-mining-efforts-to-challenge-chinas-control-over-critical-minerals/
