Australia is being urged to join a $41 trillion fight playing out in its backyard
News Source
•Wed, 26 Aug 2026 19:29:39 +0000
📰 What Happened
China and the United States are in a race to begin deep-sea mining of critical minerals in the Pacific Ocean, an issue that has starkly divided Pacific nations. Commercial deep-sea mining had been on hold while a United Nations agency develops guidelines for ocean floor extraction. But the US, under the Donald Trump administration, issued an executive order allowing US companies to apply for licences in its Pacific territories, sidestepping international law. One US company has committed to start operations as early as 2027, and in August the US announced plans to auction a maritime territory near American Samoa.
🔍 The Backstory
Extracting the vast deposits of critical minerals sitting at the bottom of the Pacific from potato-sized nodules that look like black truffles is driven by the race for a green transition. Pacific nations are starkly divided—many oppose deep-sea mining, while some are in favour. The precedent of an executive order unilaterally authorising licences has alarmed the region, and the coming operations carry questions about who controls the seabed and the environmental cost. Experts warn that what happens next could affect Australia’s relationship with once-reliable Pacific allies.
🎯 Why It Matters
As a Pacific neighbour, Australia has two key reasons to be concerned: the security stakes of the US–China race and the risk that a a controversial seabed-mining rush could sour diplomatic trust and stability across the region it calls home.
China and the United States are in a race to begin deep-sea mining of critical minerals in the Pacific Ocean, an issue that has starkly divided Pacific nations. Commercial deep-sea mining had been on hold while a United Nations agency develops guidelines for ocean floor extraction. But the US, under the Donald Trump administration, issued an executive order allowing US companies to apply for licences in its Pacific territories, sidestepping international law. One US company has committed to start operations as early as 2027, and in August the US announced plans to auction a maritime territory near American Samoa.
Extracting the vast deposits of critical minerals sitting at the bottom of the Pacific from potato-sized nodules that look like black truffles is driven by the race for a green transition. Pacific nations are starkly divided—many oppose deep-sea mining, while some are in favour. The precedent of an executive order unilaterally authorising licences has alarmed the region, and the coming operations carry questions about who controls the seabed and the environmental cost. Experts warn that what happens next could affect Australia’s relationship with once-reliable Pacific allies.
As a Pacific neighbour, Australia has two key reasons to be concerned: the security stakes of the US–China race and the risk that a a controversial seabed-mining rush could sour diplomatic trust and stability across the region it calls home.