The United States intends to authorize deep-sea mining to reduce dependence on China, but unilateral actions could undermine the global order.

The USA is preparing to allow the exploitation of the ocean floor for critical minerals, aiming to reduce dependence on Chinese resources. However, a CSIS report warns that this unilateral action could undermine the rules-based international order. Negotiations for regulating deep-sea mining are stalled, and the USA is accelerating the process under domestic legislation, risking weakening international authority and providing China with opportunities to present itself as a defender of international law.