Intel and Apple Vow to Not Use Conflict Minerals
Conflict-free computers.
Thanks to enough media attention, and a Hollywood movie, most people know about conflict diamonds and other precious stones.
According to a new bill signed by Obama, U.S. electronics companies will be required to trace and know the origins of the materials used to make their products. Minerals such as gold, tungsten, tantalum and tin are mined and sold to fund war in Central Africa.
This poses a new layer of diligence on the likes of computer and gadget manufacturers. Fast Company reports that Intel and Apple have recently joined Conflict-Free Smelter program ahead of the legislation, perhaps to avoid any unwanted attention and it's the right thing to do.
Now miners in the conflict regions need to find new buyers for their materials. With large American companies now backing off, selling efforts may go to Asia instead, reports Bloomberg.
“There is a de-facto embargo, it’s very clear,” said John Kanyoni, president of the mineral exporters association of North Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. “We’re committed to continue with all these programs. But at the same time we’re traveling soon to Asia to find alternatives.”
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Have the US companies promised not to purchase these minerals themselves, or have they gone further and said that:
- they won't allow their subsidiaries / affiliates in other countries to purchase the minerals to process them etc (as the US company might just be buying a device containing chips made with such minerals)
- they won't buy from third party manufacturers using the minerals etc (as above)
I haven't a clue how much production is done in the US, but it's fairly meaningless for a large group to restrict itself on the bottom level of the supply chain in only one country.
Oh, yeah and Americans will stop buying Saudi Oil because the Saudis support terrorism???
A good move, but easy to circumvent. Most of the mineral processing is done in Asia. The western companies will buy 'clean' Asian semi-assembled products and then assemble them themselves, like they are already doing.
On the other hand, there is hope. The Kimberly process has all but stopped the blood diamond trade in the west without fundamentally disrupting the diamond processing industry. I'm confident the same thing can be done for other minerals.