NOAA Certifies TMC USA's USA B Exploration License Application

Certification represents a key milestone in the regulatory approval process for TMC USA's exploration license application The Company's USA B application area covers ~122,000 km2 of seafloor containing an estimated 1.02 billion tonnes of polymetallic nodules with high grades of nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese, and several rare earth elements NOAA will now begin preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for TMC USA's planned exploration activities in the USA B area The certification follows NOAA's recent determination that TMC USA's consolidated application for an exploration license and a commercial recovery permit for the USA A area is in full compliance with the requirements of the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act (DSHMRA) and its implementing regulations NEW YORK, May 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TMC the metals company Inc. (Nasdaq: TMC) (“TMC” or the “Company”), a leading developer of the world's largest resource of critical metals essential to energy, defense, manufacturing and infrastructure, today announced that the USA B exploration license application submitted by its U.S. subsidiary, The Metals Company USA LLC (TMC USA), had been formally certified by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The USA B application area covers ~122,000 km2 of seafloor and hosts an estimated 1.02 billion tonnes of polymetallic nodules based upon TMC's Technical Report Summary for the Initial Assessment published in August 2025.