Trump administration moves closer to Pacific seabed mining lease sale
A seabed mining lease sale could eventually add supply of deep-sea minerals and metals.
Source →The trace
How it reaches your house.
Starting from Nickel sulfate (battery grade), we walked the supply graph hop by hop to the goods you buy and the companies you own. Each step is the engine’s reasoning, scored for confidence and cited where a source backs it.
First impact
Rare-earth elements (NdPr) →supply upNdPr is a critical 0.9-strength input to rare earth magnets, so any eventual extra NdPr supply should raise magnet availability.
82% confidenceNickel sulfate (battery grade) →supply upNickel sulfate is a key battery input, so greater availability of battery-grade nickel sulfate should ease a major constraint on lithium-ion battery production.
74% confidenceRare-earth elements (NdPr) →Prices easeChina supplies about 70% of NdPr, so a new seabed source would most strongly pressure Chinese NdPr prices and rents.
Hop 2
China →supply upChina supplies about 95% of terbium, so a new deep-sea mineral source would materially ease scarcity and increase terbium availability.
81% confidenceCobalt Sulfate (Battery Grade) →supply upA Pacific seabed mining lease sale could eventually add supply of cobalt-bearing and battery minerals, which would ease upstream feedstock tightness for battery-grade cobalt sulfate.
74% confidenceNickel Sulfate (Battery Grade) →Prices easeChina's 55% share of battery-grade nickel sulfate supply makes its incumbent supply base vulnerable to price pressure if added upstream deep-sea minerals eventually expand this market.
Hop 3
CNGR Advanced Material Co., Ltd. →supply upNickel Sulfate (Battery Grade)
CNGR sources battery-grade nickel sulfate, so an eventual increase in deep-sea nickel supply would likely make this input more available.
66% confidenceTerbium (Tb) Metal →supply upTerbium metal is a critical input to rare earth magnets, so added Tb supply should ease a bottleneck and make magnet output more available.
60% confidenceSumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. →supply upNickel Sulfate (Battery Grade)
Battery-grade nickel sulfate is the most directly linked product, so extra nickel supply can translate into more supply from Sumitomo.
Where it lands
What you buy, and what you own.
Goods you buy
Rare earth magnets · Lithium-ion batteries · Cobalt and battery minerals
In the MyPRIA app, this is checked against your own holdings.