TMC the metals Co Inc. Announces NOAA Publication of Nodule License Application

What Happened
TMC the metals Company Inc. announced on August 19, 2026 that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) published in the Federal Register the consolidated application submitted by its subsidiary, The Metals Company USA LLC. The application, filed under the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act and related rules, seeks an exploration license and a commercial recovery permit for polymetallic nodules in the TMC USA‑A area of the Clarion‑Clipperton Zone in international Pacific waters. A press release describing the publication was furnished with the Form 8‑K as Exhibit 99.1.

Key Details

• Filing date: Form 8‑K furnished on August 19, 2026.
• Applicant: The Metals Company USA LLC (subsidiary of TMC the metals Company Inc.).
• Scope: Consolidated application under the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act for an exploration license and commercial recovery permit for polymetallic nodules.
• Location: TMC USA‑A area in the Clarion‑Clipperton Zone, international waters of the Pacific Ocean.
• Disclosure type: Regulation FD disclosure; press release included as Exhibit 99.1.

Why It Matters
This filing documents a regulatory milestone in TMC’s effort to obtain seabed mining permissions—NOAA’s Federal Register publication makes the company’s consolidated application a matter of public record and advances the administrative review process. For investors, the update is a factual sign of progress on permitting for exploration and potential commercial recovery of polymetallic nodules (resources that can contain battery and critical minerals), but it does not indicate permit approval or a timetable for operations. The press release and Form 8‑K provide official disclosure of this procedural development.