New York, Jan 26, 2026, 07:19 EST — Premarket
- In premarket trading, TMC shares jumped roughly 13%, most recently trading at $9.44
- Traders remain focused on the company’s bid for U.S. approval to mine the international seabed amid new NOAA regulations
- Upcoming dates to watch: NOAA’s virtual public hearings set for Jan. 27-28, with a public-comment deadline on Feb. 23
Shares of TMC the metals company Inc (TMC.O) jumped $1.12, roughly 13%, to $9.44 in premarket Monday, up from their previous close at $8.32.
The rebound follows the Trump administration’s push to fast-track permits for deep-sea mining in international waters. U.S. officials have finalized a rule aimed at streamlining the review process at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. TMC CEO Gerard Barron described the update as a “meaningful modernization” of U.S. regulations in a statement quoted by Reuters. Reuters
A securities filing revealed the company’s U.S. unit has filed a consolidated application with NOAA seeking both an exploration license and a commercial recovery permit — the necessary green light to harvest seabed nodules commercially. SEC
TMC expanded its proposed commercial recovery area to about 65,000 square kilometers, up from roughly 25,000. The company estimates the wet-nodule resource at around 619 million tonnes, with an additional 200 million tonnes of potential upside. “This new application represents the culmination of more than a decade of disciplined scientific, engineering, and environmental work,” Barron said, referring to polymetallic nodules — potato-shaped rocks on the seabed containing nickel, copper, cobalt, and manganese. SEC
Last week, Reuters revealed that TMC is the first deep-sea mining firm to apply for U.S. approval to mine the international seabed via the new streamlined process. Barron mentioned the company aims to secure its permit by year-end. Reuters also reported that Glencore has agreed to purchase the metals TMC extracts from the seabed. Reuters
The policy drive has caught political attention. On Jan. 22, the U.S. House Natural Resources subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources conducted an oversight hearing examining “regulatory and statutory barriers” to deep-sea mining. House Natural Resources Committee
The new U.S. framework comes amid ongoing disputes about environmental harm and legal authority in international waters. NOAA’s final-rule filing highlighted widespread opposition during the rulemaking process, with critics raising alarms over habitat damage and how U.S. permits would fit alongside international standards that remain unsettled. Federal Register
Traders will be focused on NOAA’s public-comment schedule over the next two sessions, looking for any updates linked to TMC’s rapid bid. The agency has virtual hearings set for Tuesday, Jan. 27, and Wednesday, Jan. 28, concerning The Metals Company USA’s exploration-license applications. Public comments will be accepted through Feb. 23. oceanservice.noaa.gov
