cross-posted from: https://news.abolish.capital/post/55436
A Canadian deep-sea mining company may become the first to commercially mine the international seabed under a controversial U.S. executive order that bypasses United Nations regulations. A recent legal analysis suggests that this could place Canada in violation of international law.
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Original title: “Mining companies may soon bypass UN rules and mine the deep sea”, edited for clarity.
The Metals Company is pursuing the U.S. regulatory pathway through their U.S.-based subsidiary company. However, TMC U.S. has only existed by that name since January 2025, meaning that critical data, funds and proprietary designs used for mining are likely carried over from the Canadian parent company TMC, or other TMC subsidiaries.
If an American subsidiary has arguably no functional independence from their Canadian parent company, Canada could have an obligation and responsibility under UNCLOS to ensure the company is not participating in mining activities that potentially violate UN regulations.
Corporate laws feel like such a joke when they can just open subsidiaries in other countries and bypass the laws their parent companies are beholden to. Canada needs to clamp down on this and show they’re better than their US counterparts, otherwise they’ll lose their soft power advantage on the international stage.
Canada has a long history of sheltering mining companies that are up to no good in other parts of the world
This is fucking shameful, yet I don’t know what to do against it.
I was thinking of them placing naval mines into the deep sea and wondered if they had found Cthulhu slumbering down there or what ever the fuck they found.
An interesting question is why a Canadian company need to apply to an US organization to mine in an international waters?
