Trump Administration Advances First Offshore Critical Minerals Lease Sale Under New Marine Minerals Agency

The Trump administration has taken another step toward launching a U.S. offshore critical minerals industry, with the newly created Marine Minerals Administration (MMA) releasing a proposed leasing notice that could lead to the first federal deep-sea mineral lease sale in U.S. waters.

The proposal covers federal waters off American Samoa and marks one of the first major regulatory actions by the MMA since the Trump administration announced plans in April to merge the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) into a single offshore regulator.

The proposed lease sale is part of the administration’s broader effort to secure domestic supplies of critical minerals—including nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese—that are widely used in batteries, defense systems and advanced manufacturing while reducing dependence on Chinese-controlled supply chains.

“Critical minerals have become a strategic asset in global competition, and China’s dominance in the supply of many of these materials creates unacceptable risks for America’s energy, defense and manufacturing sectors,” Acting MMA Director Matt Giacona said.

The proposal is among the first major actions by the Marine Minerals Administration, created on July 10 through the reunification of BOEM and BSEE. The move reversed the post-Deepwater Horizon separation of leasing and safety oversight that had been in place since 2011, with the Trump administration arguing a single agency is better suited to oversee both offshore energy and emerging critical mineral development.

The proposed leasing notice outlines the terms and conditions for a potential mineral lease sale on the Outer Continental Shelf off American Samoa, including provisions encouraging successful bidders to hire local workers, contract with American Samoan businesses and use the Port of Pago Pago for project support.

Publication of the notice does not authorize mining or guarantee that a lease sale will occur. MMA must still complete additional regulatory steps before deciding whether to proceed.

The agency also released an Environmental Assessment evaluating the potential impacts of issuing up to two commercial mineral leases and published 16 Official Protraction Diagrams that legally define the offshore leasing blocks under consideration.

The announcement builds on the administration’s accelerating push to develop seabed minerals. In June, NOAA determined that Vancouver-based Deep Sea Minerals Corp.’s application to explore for polymetallic nodules in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone met the information requirements needed to advance through the federal review process under the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act.

While NOAA’s program governs mining in international waters, the American Samoa proposal concerns resources within the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.

The leasing effort has drawn strong opposition from environmental organizations and territorial leaders. Oceana said the proposed lease area encompasses more than 30 million acres adjacent to the Rose Atoll Marine National Monument, warning that deep-sea mining could threaten marine ecosystems, fisheries and species including sea turtles and humpback whales.

“The people of American Samoa, scientists, and others across the U.S. have made it very clear: they do not want deep-sea mining in their waters,” said Julia Singer, Oceana’s campaign manager.

According to Oceana, BOEM received more than 76,000 public comments during the planning process, the majority opposing offshore mining, while the American Samoa government has consistently voiced concerns over potential impacts on the territory’s marine resources and fishing economy.

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