US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair: “Metals, Minerals, and Mining: How the CCP Fuels Conflict and Exploitation in Africa”

Highlights

• The DRC holds 70-75% of global cobalt reserves.
• Up to 35,000 children are involved in hazardous mining activities in the DRC.
• China dominates African mineral extraction, perpetuating human rights abuses and environmental degradation.
• The Cobalt Supply Chain Act aims to prevent goods made with unethically sourced cobalt from entering the U.S. market.

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_On March 25, 2025, Chairman Chris Smith of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee delivered opening remarks (opens in a new tab) at a hearing titled “Metals, Minerals, and Mining: How the CCP Fuels Conflict and Exploitation in Africa.” In his address, Chairman Smith highlighted the paradox of Africa’s mineral wealth, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where abundant resources have often led to violence and instability rather than economic development._​

Treasure Trove, Exploitation

Chairman Smith pointed out that the DRC holds an estimated 70% to 75% of the world’s cobalt reserves, a mineral essential for lithium-ion batteries used in smartphones, computers, and electric vehicles. Alarmingly, much of this cobalt is extracted by hand, with reports indicating that up to 35,000 children are involved in these hazardous mining activities. He referenced the 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report, which noted that children in mining areas are vulnerable to sexual violence and trafficking, exacerbated by local superstitions that harming children could protect miners from death or ensure successful mining operations.​

Chinese Dominance To Date

The Chairman criticized China’s near-monopoly over the extraction and processing of Africa’s mineral resources, asserting that this dominance perpetuates human rights abuses and environmental degradation. He cited instances in Ethiopia and Sudan where illicit gold mining has fueled conflicts, with armed groups profiting from the extraction and smuggling of resources to finance their operations, thereby undermining national cohesion and peace efforts.​

Legislative Solutions?

In response to these challenges, Chairman Smith announced the reintroduction of the Cobalt Supply Chain Act. This legislation seeks to prevent goods made with cobalt refined in the People’s Republic of China from entering the U.S. market, addressing concerns that such cobalt is often sourced through child and forced labor in the DRC. He emphasized that reliance on China for critical minerals poses a significant national security vulnerability for the United States and the Western world.​

Chairman Smith also recounted his previous efforts to shed light on these issues. As Co-Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, he held a hearing in November 2023 focusing on the CCP’s dominance in the DRC’s cobalt supply chain and the unethical mining practices that benefit China. Additionally, in July 2022, he chaired a hearing at the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission addressing child labor and human rights violations in the DRC’s mining industry. He underscored that child labor constitutes one of the worst forms of child abuse, violating both Congolese legislation and international norms.​

Highlighting the broader implications, Chairman Smith pointed out that China’s state-owned mining companies have remained silent on these abuses, profiting from a supply chain “built on violence, exploitation, and corruption.” He called for immediate change, emphasizing that the time to address these injustices is now.​

Chairman Smith also commended former President Trump’s executive order for immediate measures to increase American mineral production, viewing it as a crucial step toward strengthening domestic supply chains, creating jobs, driving economic growth, and reducing reliance on foreign adversaries. He stressed the necessity for the United States to break its dependence on minerals that finance the CCP, often extracted through forced child labor, and to cease indirectly supporting the CCP’s efforts to fuel instability and conflict in Africa.​

USA & DRC Direct Deal Making

In line with this strategy, Chairman Smith noted that the U.S. Department of State has expressed openness to forming direct critical mineral partnerships with the DRC. Such collaborations aim to secure resources essential for technological advancement and national security while promoting ethical sourcing and labor practices.​

The hearing underscored the urgent need for comprehensive action to address the exploitation and conflict associated with critical mineral extraction in Africa, particularly in light of the CCP’s pervasive influence in the region.