[Editor’s Note: Michael J. McDonald is an Assistant Director for Port Administration- American Samoa, and heads the ASG committee that leads American Samoa’s engagement on the critical issues of Deep Sea Minerals (DSM).]

President Trump’s July 20, 2026 Executive Order on Securing America’s Defense Supply Chains makes one thing clear: the United States is moving aggressively to secure domestic and allied sources of critical minerals. The pressure to develop them is increasing, not decreasing.

The motivation is national security. Dependence on adversarial or unreliable foreign sources for minerals essential to weapons systems, advanced electronics, and military platforms creates real vulnerability. The administration views secure access to these materials as necessary to protect the United States from supply disruptions that could undermine readiness and create strategic risk.

American Samoa does not control the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Those are federal waters. A territorial “moratorium” is limited to territorial waters (out to 3 miles) and has no legal force in the OCS. What we do control is our voice, our political capital, and how we engage the process.

If American Samoa continues a firm “No” posture toward the potential BOEM lease sale and related exploration efforts, several implications follow under this new EO:

•     Federal urgency for domestic sources will likely shift attention and investment toward other U.S. locations (Alaska, CNMI, or mainland options) that show less resistance.

•     Opportunities tied to port infrastructure, jobs and career pathways, small business development, workforce training, scientific partnerships, and potential revenue- sharing arrangements may diminish or move elsewhere.

•     Our strategic position as a possible transshipment and logistics hub for Pacific partner minerals becomes harder to advance.

There is another layer. 

Neighboring Pacific nations — including the Cook Islands, Tonga, Kiribati, Nauru, and Niue — are actively advancing exploration. At the same time, the International Seabed Authority continues its slow but steady work toward commercial mining in international waters, particularly the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (northeast Pacific). While no commercial licenses have been issued yet, the ISA’s core mandate is to manage the process that leads to exploitation of seabed minerals in the Area. Negotiations on the exploitation regulations continue, and the direction of travel remains toward eventual commercial activity.

If technological innovation demonstrates that responsible nodule collection is achievable, and if commercial extraction begins in national waters of Pacific neighbors or under ISA rules in the CCZ, those who moved early will capture the early economic benefits: jobs, revenue, technology transfer, and regional influence.

American Samoa would then face a different reality. We would be watching others develop a new ocean industry while we remain on the sidelines. The question is no longer only about environmental risk or cultural values. It is also about whether sustained opposition leaves us strategically and economically behind in our own region.

Saying “No” remains a legitimate choice. It should be an informed one. President Trump’s recent Executive Order, accelerating activity across the Pacific, and the ISA’s ongoing work toward commercial frameworks raise the stakes of that decision. Do we want a seat at the table shaping how this unfolds, or do we prefer to stand outside it while others move forward?

Either path carries consequences. We should discuss them openly.

#AmericanSamoa #CriticalMinerals #DeepSeaMining #NationalSecurity #PacificIslands #BlueEconomy #ISA