This executive order, if signed, would mark a new attempt by Donald Trump to exploit international deposits of nickel, copper and other strategic minerals, following similar initiatives in Greenland and Ukraine. In early March, Trump already invoked emergency powers to boost domestic mining production.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA), created by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea - which the United States has never ratified - has been discussing standards for deep-sea mining for years. No consensus has yet been reached, particularly on acceptable levels of dust, noise and other environmental nuisances.

The proposed decree could allow US companies to apply directly to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for permits, thus avoiding any perception of under-regulation.

These discussions come at a time when several environmental groups are categorically opposed to offshore mining, believing that the risks to marine life are too great. Meanwhile, mining companies claim that the environmental impact at sea would be far less than on land.

Cook Islands, Norway and Japan already in action

Some countries have already begun to develop their underwater mining industry in their territorial waters, 200 nautical miles off the coast. Such is the case of the Cook Islands, Norway and Japan.

In early March, the Canadian company The Metals Co, backed by Glencore, officially applied to Washington for an extraction permit, denouncing an ISA hostile to the industry. Other players are also interested in this sector: Impossible Metals (USA), JSC Yuzhmorgeologiya (Russia), Blue Minerals Jamaica, China Minmetals and Marawa Research and Exploration (Kiribati).

The decree would be in line with Donald Trump's "America First" policy, which has already suspended American contributions to the World Trade Organization, and seeks to reduce American dependence on China for the supply of critical minerals.