The administration of Donald Trump initiates the collection of metal from the ocean floor, which will employ hundreds of divers. According to the Financial Times, the goal is to counter China's dominance in the market of battery minerals and rare earth metals.
According to the source, such "deposits" "will create large volumes available in the United States for future use" in the event of a conflict with China, which will affect the import of rare metals.
EADaily reminds that last week China imposed export restrictions on some elements from its list of rare earth metals in response to the tariff package of US President Donald Trump, which risks depriving the United States of access to minerals necessary for the production of smartphones and batteries for electric vehicles.