This bill directs the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force to finish an investigation within 180 days and give Congress a strategy to prevent cobalt mined or processed with child or forced labor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from entering U.S. markets. The report must show how to trace cobalt origins, stop cobalt from entering via third countries, and stop denied shipments from later entering the market. The report must list entities in the DRC that may use forced labor, identify downstream product categories that include DRC cobalt, recommend tools and technologies for tracing, and describe how the list will be updated. The report will be unclassified with an optional classified annex. After the initial report, the task force must brief Congress every six months on updates and enforcement actions. This investigation section sunsets after 8 years or when the President determines forced labor in DRC mining has ended. The bill cites existing law (section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930) that bans imports made with forced labor.
If enacted, the bill would require federal authorities to create and use strategies to trace cobalt used in batteries and other products back to its origin and to block cobalt mined with forced child or adult labor from entering the U.S. market. The bill names batteries used in smartphones, laptops, and electric vehicles as relevant downstream products. Importers of cobalt-containing goods and companies that use cobalt in manufacturing could face increased supply-chain checks and documentation requests tied to these enforcement efforts. The bill also calls for coordination with nongovernmental organizations and private-sector groups to carry out the strategies.
No publicly available information on costs or budgetary effects is included in the bill text.
The bill's findings emphasize that cobalt is essential for most lithium-ion batteries and that a large share of the world’s cobalt comes from the DRC. The text states there are significant concerns about forced and child labor in DRC cobalt mining and notes that existing U.S. law (section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930) already bars imports made with forced labor. Those points form the basis for the bill’s proposed investigation and enforcement strategy.
No publicly available information on opposition or counterarguments is included in the bill text.