The Metals Company, which has been trying for years to exploit battery materials strewn across the ocean floor, announced today that it has applied for a permit from the Trump administration to start commercially mining in international waters.

The quest to exploit deep-sea mineral resources — and debates over benefits and harms — is intensifying in D.C. and internationally. Why it matters: U.S. regulators are now weighing an actual proposal after The Metals Company on Tuesday said it submitted applications for exploration and extraction in a swath of international Pacific waters.

Deep-sea mining firm The Metals Co asked the Trump administration on Tuesday to approve its plans to mine the international seabed, making it the first such company to seek the government's permission to operate outside U.