Together, the company and President Trump are circumventing a multilateral process to develop rules for deep sea mining that has so far prevented any commercial exploitation from

At a congressional hearing, one executive welcomed President Trump’s “starting gun” to begin mining. Democrats and Republicans clashed over environmental and business concerns.

President Trump signed an executive order to boost the U.S. deep-sea mining industry for critical minerals. Supporters say deep-sea mining could boost the U.S. economy and reduce reliance on land-based mines, while environmental groups warn of biodiversity loss. The move comes amid U.S. efforts to decrease reliance on China for critical minerals.