President Donald Trump has signed an executive order intended to accelerate offshore mining and open new opportunities for extracting critical materials from the ocean floor despite the objections of environmentalists.

(Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Thursday to boost the deep-sea mining industry, the latest attempt to tap international deposits of nickel, copper and other critical minerals used widely across the economy.

President Donald Trump wants federal agencies to fast-track applications for deep-sea mining in an effort to make the United States a global leader in the nascent industry.