China Asks U.S.: Follow International Law On Deep-Sea Metals Stockpile Plan

No country should bypass international law to authorize seabed resource exploration, China’s foreign ministry said, following reports of U.S. plans to stockpile deep-sea metals to counter China’s dominance in the sector, Ethan Wang and Ryan Woo reported for Reuters.

Seabed nodules rich in nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese are considered essential for industries including battery production and defense. I Photo: Abramax Wikimedia Commons

The Trump administration is drafting an executive order to enable the stockpiling of deep-sea metals found on the Pacific Ocean seabed, according to the Financial Times.

Citing sources familiar with the matter, the report said the stockpile would “create large quantities ready and available on U.S. territory to be used in the future,” in case a conflict with China limits access to vital imports.

Seabed nodules rich in nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese are considered essential for industries including battery production and defense. The initiative is part of a broader U.S. strategy to become self-sufficient in critical minerals, GlobalData reported.

China has placed some rare earth elements under export restrictions in retaliation for President Trump’s steep tariffs on Chinese goods, potentially cutting the U.S. off from key materials used in everything from smartphones to electric vehicle batteries.

In response to the U.S. plan, China’s foreign ministry reiterated that, under international law, the seabed and its resources “are the common heritage of mankind.”

It added: “Exploration and exploitation of mineral resources in the international seabed area must be conducted in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and within the framework of the International Seabed Authority (ISA).”