Press Releases
Looking for more press releases? Explore our full press release archive by date to access past announcements, news updates, and media releases published on Tonga Industry Times.

Moderate Quake Hits Pacific Island Nation of Tonga
(MENAFN) A moderate earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale struck the Pacific island nation of Tonga on Thursday, with no immediate tsunami warnings reported, according to the German Research Center for Geosciences (GEOFON). The seismic...

TMC and Tonga Announce Updated Sponsorship Agreement for Tonga Offshore Mining Ltd (TOML)
The Kingdom of Tonga and TMC’s subsidiary, Tonga Offshore Mining Ltd (TOML), signed a revised Sponsorship Agreement, updating the terms of their agreement signed in 2021 The Government of the Kingdom of Tonga welcomes the new agreement which will...

The Metals Company Announces Second Quarter 2025 Corporate Update
NEW YORK, Aug. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TMC the metals company Inc. (Nasdaq: TMC) (“TMC”, the “Company” or “we”), a leading developer of the world’s largest estimated undeveloped resource of critical metals essential to energy, defense,...

Experts: Tonga Volcano Eruption Triggers Unprecedented Climate Impacts
(MENAFN) The 2022 Hunga volcano eruption in Tonga unleashed an extraordinary steam plume, causing unprecedented climate effects, primarily driven by water vapor rather than sulfur, according to New Zealand and Tongan scientists. In a collaborative...

World First: TMC USA Submits Application for Commercial Recovery of Deep-Sea Minerals in the High Seas Under U.S. Seabed Mining Code
Following last week’s Executive Order, ‘Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources’, TMC USA has submitted applications to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for two exploration licenses and one...

The Metals Company to Apply for Permits under Existing U.S. Mining Code for Deep-Sea Minerals in the High Seas in Second Quarter of 2025
Following successful mining tests by U.S. consortia and pioneering environmental impact assessment by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the 1970s, the United States Congress passed...

World First: TMC and PAMCO Achieve a New Nodule Processing Milestone, Unlocking Critical Energy & Steelmaking Materials at Existing Facilities
TMC and PAMCO have successfully demonstrated the production flowsheet for its initial commercial production using a 2,000-tonne sample of nodules collected during TMC subsidiary Nauru Ocean Resources Inc.’s 2022 test mining, at PAMCO’s commercial...

RexoSwap Promotes Bitcoin Payment Pilot in Tonga, Strengthening Global Compliance Development
New York, Jan. 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Recently, the leading digital asset trading platform RexoSwap announced its formal support for Tonga's Bitcoin payment pilot project, helping the country establish a more modern digital payment...

Tonga Launches its National Single-Use Plastics Roadmap
26 August 2024, Nuku'alofa Tonga - The Kingdom of Tonga today launched a National Single-Use Plastics Roadmap aimed at phasing out single-use plastics (SUPs) in the country. This strategic roadmap will provide a clear pathway for targeted actions...

ADB, Solomon Islands, Tonga Sign Agreements for Sustainable Energy Transition Projects at COP29
BAKU, AZERBAIJAN (20 November 2024) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the governments of Solomon Islands and Tonga have signed grant and loan agreements for energy projects on the sidelines of COP29. The ADB-supported projects will help the...

Trade, Industry and Competition partners with Nkomazi Local Municipality to empower entrepreneurs
The dtic partners with Nkomazi Local Municipality to empower entrepreneurs The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), in partnership with the Nkomazi Local Municipality and Siboshwa Traditional Council will host an interactive...

LEAP, globally popular software for energy, climate mitigation, and air pollution planning, to be offered free to an additional 54 countries
Screenshot from LEAP: Emissions variations by location. The countries eligible for free LEAP licenses now include all upper-middle-countries and most Small Island Developing States (SIDS), making the tool freely available to governments,...

Arrival of African Tulip Beetles in Tonga for Natural Enemies - Natural Solutions Programme
8 October 2024, Tongatapu, Tonga - The African tulip tree (Spathodea campanulata) is recognised as one of the world’s 100 worst invasive alien species and ranks among the top 30 terrestrial invasive plants. Initially introduced to many Pacific...

PM MANELE ATTENDS LEADERS’ PLENARY MEETINGS AND BILATERALS IN TONGA
PM MANELE ATTENDS LEADERS’ PLENARY MEETINGS AND BILATERALS IN TONGA Prime Minister honorable Jeremiah Manele attended the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum meeting for the first time as the head of the government. The PIF leaders meeting took place in...

Australia Kicks Off Historic Talisman Sabre War Games
(MENAFN) Australia kicked off its most expansive and complex military drill to date, Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, with an official ceremony held Sunday aboard the HMAS Adelaide, according to a statement from the Defense Ministry. Now in its 11th...

Media reports more African nations face US visa prohibition
(MENAFN) The United States intends to widen its controversial travel restrictions to citizens from 36 additional countries, with 25 of them located in Africa, according to an internal State Department memo reported by The Washington Post over the...

TMC and Nauru Announce Updated Sponsorship Agreement for Nauru Ocean Resources Inc. (NORI)
The Government of Nauru and TMC’s subsidiary, Nauru Ocean Resources Inc. (NORI), signed a revised Sponsorship Agreement updating the terms of their agreement signed in 2017 The President of Nauru welcomes the new agreement which will ensure that...

Rutger Bosland, Pioneering Engineer and Technical Lead on Development of TMC’s Nodule Collection System, Joins Company to Drive Commercial Readiness
Rutger Bosland, the engineer and technical lead who oversaw the design, build and successful test deployment of Allseas’ integrated nodule collection system, joins TMC to lead offshore innovation and scale its technologies for commercial...

TMC Welcomes U.S. Executive Order to Expedite Permitting and Evaluate Offtake of Critical Minerals from Nodules in the High Seas
Entitled ‘Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources’, the Executive Order directs Commerce Secretary Lutnick to expedite deep seabed mineral exploration licenses and commercial recovery permits in international waters under the...

TMC Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Results
NEW YORK, March 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TMC the metals company Inc. (Nasdaq: TMC) (“TMC” or “the Company”), an explorer of the world’s largest undeveloped resource of critical metals for building infrastructure, power generation,...