Highlights

• China receives first-ever Environmental Impact Statement approval from ISA for underwater mineral exploration in Contract Area A-5.
• The approval marks a significant step toward developing critical minerals like rare earth elements directly from deep-sea resources.
• China positions itself as a leader in international seabed mining.
• Western nations remain largely stalled in deep-sea capabilities.

---

In a landmark step toward deep-sea resource development, China has officially cleared a critical international legal hurdle for underwater mining. On March 27, 2025, the International Seabed Authority (opens in a new tab) (ISA) approved China's first-ever Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a polymetallic nodule mining vehicle trial in Contract Area A-5, within China Minmetals’ (opens in a new tab) international seabed mining zone. The EIS, authored by the Changsha Research Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (opens in a new tab) (CRIMM) under the direction of China Minmetals, is the first such report from China and only the fifth globally to receive ISA approval.

The approval grants China Minmetals formal legal clearance to begin sea trials of its polymetallic nodule collector vehicle in international waters. This milestone marks a new phase in China’s ambitions to develop strategic, critical minerals—including rare earth elements—directly from the seabed, representing a paradigm shift in global resource sourcing.

Strategic Implications? China Advances in Global Rare Earth Race

While polymetallic nodules are commonly associated with nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese, rare earth elements (REEs) have also been detected in seabed sediments and nodules. This ISA approval significantly strengthens China’s hand in securing long-term access to strategic minerals beyond its own borders—a hedge against geopolitical risks and terrestrial supply constraints.

For China Minmetals, the approval does more than unlock a test phase—it affirms the company's growing stature as a compliant, technologically sophisticated player in the emerging deep-sea mining sector, which is increasingly seen as a future battleground for mineral security.

A Nationally Orchestrated, Globally Approved Success

Behind the scenes, the EIS approval reflects a coordinated, multi-agency national effort. CRIMM led the report preparation under a national science and technology initiative, but received extensive policy and legal support from:

• China Minmetals – operational and technical leadership
• China Ocean Mineral Resources R&D Association (opens in a new tab) (COMRA) – international seabed contractor
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs – diplomatic strategy and regulatory positioning

Faced with complex ISA legal and environmental scrutiny, the Chinese team built a real-time response and feedback mechanism to address every technical challenge and meet international standards—a clear sign of China’s rising competency in international regulatory diplomacy around mining.

The Deep Sea as the Next Strategic Resource Frontier

The EIS approval marks the start of in-situ collector vehicle trials, along with environmental monitoring, that will inform future commercial exploitation applications to the ISA. These trials represent more than an R&D milestone—they are a strategic foray into the next era of resource sovereignty.

For the rare earth and battery metals industries, the message is clear: China is not waiting for land-based shortages or Western policy delays to dictate its next move. By establishing a beachhead in international seabed development, China Minmetals may soon expand its already dominant position in global mineral supply chains to include deep-sea metals and potentially rare earths.

Meanwhile, no U.S. company has received comparable ISA approvals, and Western nations remain largely stalled in developing either domestic deep-sea capabilities or international regulatory access.

China’s Long Game? Legal, Technical, and Diplomatic Alignment

By becoming the first Chinese entity to pass the ISA’s EIS review, China Minmetals claims to have set a precedent for future seabed activity, not only for vehicle testing, but for potential full-scale commercial mining. The CRIMM-led achievement enhances China's technical credibility and helps set the tone for future multilateral discussions on seabed governance.

As CRIMM advances with real-time testing and data collection in the A-5 zone, it will also continue to develop a full-chain deep-sea mining capability—from collector design and deployment to environmental restoration protocols—under the national mandate of “building a strong ocean power.”

Discuss further at the Rare Earth Exchanges Forum (opens in a new tab).