Conflict Minerals: Conflict Minerals Remain Unchecked by Most U.S. Manufacturers

Apr 22, 2015 | Stephen E. Stapczynski, Bloomberg
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Metals that are sold to help fund armed groups in Africa could be making their way into the U.S manufacturing industry unchecked, a Global Witness and Amnesty International study shows. Almost 80 percent of the public companies analyzed failed to properly disclose whether their products contain gold, tin, tungsten and tantalum from conflict areas in Central Africa, the human rights groups said in a joint statement Wednesday. Trade of these metals, which are essential for electronic devices ranging from smartphones to laptops, is often linked to human-rights abuse and corruption in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo.