The Trump administration signaled it is nearing approval for permits to mine the deep sea, part of a broader push to boost ‌US access to the critical minerals used across much of the country's economy ↧ US aims to issue deep-sea mining permits within months, Interior Se... The Trump administration on Monday signaled it is nearing ​approval for permits to mine the deep sea, part of a broader push to boost ‌U.S. access to the critical minerals used across much of the country's economy.