Unleashing America's Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources

               By the authority vested in me as President by the 
               Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
               America, it is hereby ordered:

               Section 1. Background. The United States has a core 
               national security and economic interest in maintaining 
               leadership in deep sea science and technology and 
               seabed mineral resources. The United States faces 
               unprecedented economic and national security challenges 
               in securing reliable supplies of critical minerals 
               independent of foreign adversary control. Vast offshore 
               seabed areas hold critical minerals and energy 
               resources. These resources are key to strengthening our 
               economy, securing our energy future, and reducing 
               dependence on foreign suppliers for critical minerals. 
               The United States also controls seabed mineral 
               resources in one of the largest ocean areas of the 
               world. Our Nation can, through the exercise of existing 
               authorities and by establishing international 
               partnerships, access potentially vast resources in 
               seabed polymetallic nodules; other subsea geologic 
               structures; and coastal deposits containing strategic 
               minerals such as nickel, cobalt, copper, manganese, 
               titanium, and rare earth elements, which are vital to 
               our national security and economic prosperity.

               Our Nation must take immediate action to accelerate the 
               responsible development of seabed mineral resources, 
               quantify the Nation's endowment of seabed minerals, 
               reinvigorate American leadership in associated 
               extraction and processing technologies, and ensure 
               secure supply chains for our defense, infrastructure, 
               and energy sectors.

               Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States 
               to advance United States leadership in seabed mineral 
               development by:

                   (a) rapidly developing domestic capabilities for 
               the exploration, characterization, collection, and 
               processing of seabed mineral resources through 
               streamlined permitting without compromising 
               environmental and transparency standards;
                   (b) supporting investment in deep sea science, 
               mapping, and technology;
                   (c) enhancing coordination among executive 
               departments and agencies (agencies) with respect to 
               seabed mineral development activities described in this 
               order;
                   (d) establishing the United States as a global 
               leader in responsible seabed mineral exploration, 
               development technologies, and practices, and as a 
               partner for countries developing seabed mineral 
               resources in areas within their national jurisdictions, 
               including their Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ);
                   (e) creating a robust domestic supply chain for 
               critical minerals derived from seabed resources to 
               support economic growth, reindustrialization, and 
               military preparedness, including through new processing 
               capabilities; and
                   (f) strengthening partnerships with allies and 
               industry to counter China's growing influence over 
               seabed mineral resources and to ensure United States 
               companies are well-positioned to support allies and 
               partners interested in developing seabed minerals 
               responsibly in areas within their national 
               jurisdictions, including their EEZs.

               Sec. 3. Strategic Seabed Critical Mineral Access. 
               Within 60 days of the date of this order:

                   (a) The Secretary of Commerce shall:

(i) acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, and in consultation with the Secretary of State 
and the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the 
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, expedite the process for reviewing and 
issuing seabed mineral exploration licenses and commercial recovery permits 
in areas beyond national jurisdiction under the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral 
Resources Act (30 U.S.C. 1401 et seq.), consistent with applicable law. The 
expedited process, consistent with applicable law, should ensure 
efficiency, predictability, and competitiveness for American companies;

(ii) in coordination with the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary 
of Energy, and in consultation with the heads of other relevant agencies, 
provide a report to the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, the 
Chair of the National Energy Dominance Council, and the Vice Chair of the 
National Energy Dominance Council that identifies:

 (A) private sector interest and opportunities for seabed mineral resource 
exploration, mining, and environmental monitoring in the United States 
Outer Continental Shelf; in areas beyond national jurisdiction; and in 
areas within the national jurisdictions of certain other nations that 
express interest in partnering with United States companies on seabed 
mineral development; and

 (B) private sector interest and opportunities for polymetallic nodule and 
other seabed mineral resource processing capacity in the United States or 
on United States-flagged vessels; and

(iii) in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the 
Interior, and the heads of other relevant agencies, and in cooperation with 
commercial and other non-governmental organizations, develop a plan to map 
priority areas of the seabed, such as those with abundant or accessible 
undersea resources, in order to accelerate data collection and 
characterization, prioritizing areas within the United States Outer 
Continental Shelf.

                   (b) The Secretary of the Interior shall:

(i) establish an expedited process for reviewing and approving permits for 
prospecting and granting leases for exploration, development, and 
production of seabed mineral resources within the United States Outer 
Continental Shelf under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 
1331 et seq.), consistent with applicable law. The expedited process, 
consistent with applicable law, should ensure efficiency, predictability, 
and competitiveness for American companies; and

(ii) identify which critical minerals may be derived from seabed resources 
and coordinate with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Energy to 
indicate which critical minerals are essential for applications such as 
defense infrastructure, manufacturing, and energy.

                   (c) The Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with 
               the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Interior, 
               and the Secretary of Energy, shall:

(i) engage with key partners and allies to offer support for seabed mineral 
resource exploration, extraction, processing, and environmental monitoring 
in areas within the national jurisdictions of those partners and allies, 
including by seeking scientific collaboration and commercial development 
opportunities for United States companies, and by developing a prioritized 
list of countries for engagement; and

(ii) provide a joint report to the Assistant to the President for Economic 
Policy, the Chair of the National Energy Dominance Council, and the Vice 
Chair of the National Energy Dominance Council on the feasibility of an 
international benefit-sharing mechanism for seabed mineral resource 
extraction and development that occurs in areas beyond the national 
jurisdiction of any country.

                   (d) The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 
               Energy shall:

(i) provide a report to the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, 
the Chair of the National Energy Dominance Council, and the Vice Chair
of the National Energy Dominance Council that addresses the feasibility and 
any potential benefits or drawbacks of using the National Defense Stockpile 
for physical or virtual storage of materials derived from seabed 
polymetallic nodules and of entering offtake agreements for these 
materials;

(ii) in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, review and revise 
existing regulations, consistent with applicable law, to support domestic 
processing capabilities for seabed mineral resources, and explore the use 
of grant and loan authorities, the Defense Production Act (50 U.S.C. 4501 
et seq.), and other procurement and financing authorities for this purpose; 
and

(iii) ensure the Strategic and Critical Materials Board of Directors 
considers seabed mineral resource developments when recommending a strategy 
for ensuring a secure supply of materials designated as critical to 
national security to the Secretary of Defense under the Strategic and 
Critical Materials Stock Piling Act (50 U.S.C. 98 et seq.).

                   (e) The Chief Executive Officer of the United 
               States International Development Finance Corporation, 
               the President of the Export-Import Bank of the United 
               States, the Director of the Trade and Development 
               Agency, and the heads of other relevant agencies shall 
               provide a joint report to the Assistant to the 
               President for Economic Policy, the Chair of the 
               National Energy Dominance Council, and the Vice Chair 
               of the National Energy Dominance Council that 
               identifies tools to support domestic and international 
               seabed mineral resource exploration, extraction, 
               processing, and environmental monitoring.

               Sec. 4. Definitions. As used in this order:

                   (a) The term ``mineral'' means a critical mineral 
               as designated pursuant to 30 U.S.C. 1606(a)(3), as well 
               as uranium, copper, potash, gold, and any other element 
               or compound as determined by the Chair of the National 
               Energy Dominance Council.
                   (b) The term ``seabed mineral resources'' means 
               polymetallic nodules, cobalt-rich ferromanganese 
               crusts, polymetallic sulfides, heavy mineral sands, 
               phosphorites, and other mineral-bearing materials.
                   (c) The term ``processing'' includes the 
               concentration, separation, refinement, alloying, and 
               conversion of minerals into usable forms.

               Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order 
               shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or 
the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

                   (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with 
               applicable law and subject to the availability of 
               appropriations.
                   (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, 
               create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, 
               enforceable at law or in equity by any party against 
               the United States, its departments, agencies, or 
               entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any 
               other person.
                              
                 DONALD J. TRUMP

               THE WHITE HOUSE,

                   April 24, 2025.