EV, Phone Makers Warned on Forced Labor in Cobalt Supply Chain

A bipartisan congressional commission on China urged American businesses to ensure that they aren’t supporting inhumane labor practices through their supply chain for cobalt, a mineral used in batteries for electric vehicles, smartphones, and tablets.

Members of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China raised concerns during a hearing Tuesday about eradicating child and forced labor that is used to mine cobalt in Democratic Republic of the Congo. The cobalt is then processed by Chinese companies before being sold to battery makers globally. The US Department of Labor estimates that at least 25,000 children are working in cobalt mines in the DRC, ...