IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1082 

Calling upon the International Seabed Authority to adopt regulations allowing 

the collection of critical minerals from the international seabed area, 

which will enable America to regain reliable and responsible supply 

chains, provide high-wage jobs for United States citizens, secure supply 

chains away from the People’s Republic of China’s dominance of the 

critical mineral supply chain, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 15, 2024 

Mr. HUNT submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 

in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION 

Calling upon the International Seabed Authority to adopt 

regulations allowing the collection of critical minerals 

from the international seabed area, which will enable 

America to regain reliable and responsible supply chains, 

provide high-wage jobs for United States citizens, secure 

supply chains away from the People’s Republic of China’s 

dominance of the critical mineral supply chain, and for 

other purposes. 

Whereas the United States acknowledges the importance that 

critical minerals will have in the future; 


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•HRES 1082 IH 

Whereas critical minerals, along with rare-earth minerals, are 

the building blocks of technology, information and communications technology, and defense; 

Whereas critical minerals are used in the construction of advanced defense systems and clean energy technologies; 

Whereas the People’s Republic of China (PRC) currently 

dominates global mineral production and refining, with a 

market share of up to 90 percent; 

Whereas the PRC builds on environmental and human rights 

violations, including attacks against grassroots leaders, 

water pollution, ecosystem destruction, and unsafe working conditions; 

Whereas, building upon previous investments with the Belt 

and Road Initiative, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s flagship foreign policy initiative, China has spent the past 2 

decades pouring at least $170,000,000,000 into building 

ports, railroads, and other massive infrastructure projects 

across Africa; 

Whereas, although the United States has a vast collection of 

minerals, excessive regulations and Federal overreach 

have made it virtually impossible to mine in America; 

Whereas leases were recently canceled for the Twin Metals 

mine, which contains the largest deposit of cobalt and 

nickel in the United States; 

Whereas the processing and refining of critical minerals in 

the United States will require access to sufficient feedstocks and a regulatory landscape that does not involve 

insurmountable roadblocks; 

Whereas the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has estimated that the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), in the 


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international seabed area of the Pacific Ocean, contains 

21,000,000,000 tons of polymetallic nodules; 

Whereas the CCZ is estimated to contain more manganese, 

nickel, and cobalt than the entire global terrestrial reserve base for those minerals, combined; 

Whereas the CCZ is a 48,000,000,000,000 square feet area 

in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Mexico; 

Whereas, because the CCZ is located in the international seabed area, the ISA, a United Nations organization, manages and regulates these ocean floor minerals; 

Whereas the ISA is an autonomous international organization 

established under the 1982 United Nations Convention 

on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); 

Whereas the ISA is an organization through which only signatories to UNCLOS organize and control all mineral resources-related activities in the international seabed area, 

which covers approximately 54 percent of the total area 

of the world’s oceans; 

Whereas the European Union and 168 nations are members 

of the ISA, including China and Russia; 

Whereas the United States is not a member of the ISA but 

could obtain access to minerals located in the CCZ 

through partnerships with ISA contractors based in allied 

countries that are aligned with United States interests; 

Whereas the ISA is currently deliberating on rules to govern 

the collection of polymetallic nodules, and only ISA members have a vote on these regulations; 

Whereas the ISA has issued 19 current exploration contracts 

for polymetallic nodules, including 3 sponsored by the 


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PRC for Chinese entities, 2 of which sit in the CCZ, the 

area of most economic interest; 

Whereas the United States must not let this imminent economic opportunity be ceded to China because of our unwillingness to act; and 

Whereas the United States needs the innovation and ingenuity that made this country great more than ever: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes that diverse and resilient energy 

3 and mineral supply chains are vital for the United 

4 States, our partners, and allies, and for global eco5 nomic stability; 

6 (2) affirms that the International Seabed Au7 thority should adopt the regulations by 2025 in 

8 order to avoid delays to a critical industry; and 

9 (3) affirms that it is in the national interest of 

10 the United States to provide a regulatory environ11 ment that supports the domestic processing and re12 fining of critical minerals, including polymetallic 

13 nodules located in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. 

Æ 


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