TMC pushes ahead of schedule with application to deep sea mine

Canadian miner, The Metals Company, surprised markets on Tuesday by applying for a deep sea mining commercial recovery licence from the US government.

The move comes at least two months ahead of schedule as the company had originally said it would submit an application in the second half of 2025.

The application follows US President Donald Trump’s executive order last week unilaterally allowing bids for deep sea mining and bypassing the international regulator who called the move a breach of international law.

If approved, TMC would be the first company given the go ahead to deep sea mine minerals from the Ocean floor.

The Commercial recovery application concerns 25million square kilometres of ocean floor in the Clarion Clipperton Zone.

TMC, which applied through its US subsidiary, says it expects to start surfacing the mineral-rich polymetallic nodules by 2027.