US Government Plans to Divest Mining Rights in Samoa's Offshore Area

According to a report by Bloomberg cited on Mining.com, the Trump administration is planning to grant offshore mining rights in American Samoa, driven by soaring demand for critical minerals needed in power batteries, smartphones, and other technologies.

On Tuesday, the US Department of the Interior announced plans to solicit input from the public and potential exploration companies in the region, marking Step-1 in the US's efforts to grant deep-sea mining rights in its South Pacific territories.

This decision was made following the Department's recognition of Impossible Metals as a US enterprise and its subsequent application for mining rights. It comes less than a month after President Trump signed an executive order to accelerate offshore mineral development, offering new opportunities for extracting critical materials from the seabed.

"Critical minerals are vital to enhancing our nation's resilience and safeguarding our national interests," Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated in a press release. "By providing opportunities for the responsible development of deep-sea mineral resources, we are bolstering both US economic growth and national security."

The US has shown increased interest in developing new domestic sources of critical minerals. However, environmentalists have warned against deep-sea mining, claiming it poses a threat to marine life and their habitats.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) within the Department of the Interior has already granted oil and gas mining rights on the US Outer Continental Shelf. The agency also leases water areas for wind farm construction.

However, the assessment of federal waters mining rights grants is the first of its kind in over three decades, according to the Department of the Interior.

The Department of the Interior has not disclosed a potential timetable for granting deep-sea mining rights but has stated that it will consider input from indigenous islanders, ocean users, industry stakeholders, and relevant parties. The agency said that BOEM will evaluate the geological conditions of the area, as well as the environmental and cultural impacts of seabed mining in the region.