International Governance♦ Online 66 Va. J. Int’l L. Online 2 (2026)

Sovereignty vs. Solidarity: The United States, Deep-Sea Mining, and the Limits of Multilateral Ocean Governance

Ganeswar Matcha

This Essay examines the legal and policy tensions between the United States and international frameworks governing deep-sea mining, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the International Seabed Authority (ISA). As global demand for critical minerals intensifies, the United States has revived its domestic Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act (DSHMRA) to enable unilateral seabed mining, despite not being a party to UNCLOS. This approach establishes a parallel legal regime that risks undermining the unified governance model envisioned by the international community. This Essay explores the implications of this fragmentation, including licensing conflicts, legal uncertainty for U.S. firms, and environmental risks. Through comparative analysis and policy recommendations, this Essay argues for renewed multilateral engagement, the development of minimum international environmental standards, and increased transparency from U.S. operators. Ultimately, it highlights how the clash between unilateral and multilateral approaches threatens the cohesion and sustainability of global ocean governance.