The Trump administration is preparing a new executive order to begin stockpiling critical metals collected from the Pacific Ocean seabed to reduce the United States’ reliance on China for essential battery minerals and rare earth elements, according to people familiar with the plan.
The plan involves gathering potato-sized rocks known as polymetallic nodules that lie on the deep-sea floor. These nodules are rich in minerals like copper, cobalt, manganese, and nickel essential for batteries, electrical wiring, and even military equipment.
They also contain traces of rare earth elements, which are critical for producing electric vehicles, smartphones, and defense technologies.
Officials familiar with the matter said that these seabed metals could be added to the existing national stockpiles, alongside resources like crude oil and traditional metals.
The idea is to secure large quantities of these resources on US soil that could be used in the event of future conflicts or supply chain disruptions, especially if
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