Task force would investigate forced labor in Congo cobalt mining

The Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force would investigate forced labor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s cobalt mining industry and send Congress a report. The investigation would cover cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including entities that may mine or process cobalt with forced labor and products containing that cobalt. The report would include strategies for tracing cobalt, stopping forced-labor cobalt from entering the United States, and preventing denied shipments from entering through third countries. The report would recommend tools and cooperation with private companies and nonprofit groups to help Customs and Border Protection identify and trace cobalt. The report would be unclassified, but it could include a classified section when necessary. The task force would submit the investigation’s results within 180 days after enactment.

The task force would brief the relevant House and Senate committees about its strategy, updates, and Customs enforcement actions. Briefings would go to the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee and would address forced-labor cobalt from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The task force would provide briefings every six months after submitting its strategy. It would also brief the committees when applicable about strategy updates, other steps to block imports, and Customs enforcement actions. These provisions would end if the President determines that forced labor in Congo’s mining industry has ended, or after eight years, whichever comes first. The semiannual briefings would begin after the strategy is submitted and continue until the earlier of eight years after enactment or the President’s determination that forced labor in the Congo mining industry has ended.