COBALT Supply Chain Act

If passed, this bill would restrict the import of electronics and electric vehicle components containing Chinese-refined cobalt, potentially disrupting supply chains for manufacturers and increasing compliance requirements for importers starting 180 days after enactment.

• •The bill establishes a rebuttable presumption that any goods containing cobalt refined in the PRC are made with forced or child labor.
• •Importers must provide clear and convincing evidence that their goods do not contain cobalt refined in the PRC to bypass the import ban.
• •The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection must report publicly within 30 days of granting any exception to the ban.
• •The import restrictions take effect 180 days after the bill is enacted.
• •The Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force must submit an enforcement strategy to Congress within 120 days of enactment.
• •The strategy must include methods to trace supply chains, identify third-country routes, and prevent goods denied entry from re-entering via other countries.
• •The bill cites that 15 to 30 percent of cobalt in the DRC comes from artisanal mining, involving at least 40,000 children.
• •The bill notes that 15 of the 19 cobalt mines in the DRC are owned or financed by PRC companies.
• •The bill mandates coordination with Mexico and Canada to enforce USMCA Article 23.6 regarding forced labor imports.

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.