China & United States — National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

China: China holds a significant share of the global processing market for critical minerals, which the United States is trying to counter by supporting domestic deep-sea mining initiatives like The Metals Company's project.

United States — National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: The United States — National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration certified The Metals Company's exploration license application, granting it threshold eligibility and moving forward with a substantive review. This agency is key to the permitting process.

China: El Nino is likely to be neutral for China, meaning no significant positive or negative impact is currently anticipated.

United States — National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: The United States — National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) officially confirmed the existence of El Ni and provided a 63% chance that it will rank among the largest events in historical record, offering crucial forecasts for its development and impacts.