Passive Components Blog
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • NewsFilter
    • All
    • Aerospace & Defence
    • Antenna
    • Applications
    • Automotive
    • Capacitors
    • Circuit Protection Devices
    • electro-mechanical news
    • Filters
    • Fuses
    • Inductors
    • Industrial
    • Integrated Passives
    • inter-connect news
    • Market & Supply Chain
    • Market Insights
    • Medical
    • Modelling and Simulation
    • New Materials & Supply
    • New Technologies
    • Non-linear Passives
    • Oscillators
    • Passive Sensors News
    • Resistors
    • RF & Microwave
    • Telecommunication
    • Weekly Digest

    KYOCERA AVX Expands Stacked MLCC Capacitors Offering

    Murata and QuantumScape Joint Development for Solid Batteries Ceramic Separators

    YAGEO Unveils Compact 3.6kW LLC Transformer for OBC EV Charging

    Over-Voltage Protection Clippers, Clampers, Snubbers, DC Restorers

    KYOCERA Releases Shielded Board-to-Board Connectors for Reliable EMI Protection

    Wk 41 Electronics Supply Chain Digest

    Samtec Expands Connector Severe Environment Testing Offering

    Silicon Capacitors Market: Shaping the Foundation for Next-Gen Miniaturization Electronics

    YAGEO Releases Compact Coupled Inductors for High-Density VR Designs

    Trending Tags

    • Ripple Current
    • RF
    • Leakage Current
    • Tantalum vs Ceramic
    • Snubber
    • Low ESR
    • Feedthrough
    • Derating
    • Dielectric Constant
    • New Products
    • Market Reports
  • VideoFilter
    • All
    • Antenna videos
    • Capacitor videos
    • Circuit Protection Video
    • Filter videos
    • Fuse videos
    • Inductor videos
    • Inter-Connect Video
    • Non-linear passives videos
    • Oscillator videos
    • Passive sensors videos
    • Resistor videos

    Connector PCB Design Challenges

    Efficient Power Converters: Duty Cycle vs Conduction Losses

    Ripple Steering in Coupled Inductors: SEPIC Case

    SEPIC Converter with Coupled and Uncoupled Inductors

    Coupled Inductors in SEPIC versus Flyback Converters

    Non-Linear MLCC Class II Capacitor Measurements Challenges

    Percolation Phenomenon and Reliability of Molded Power Inductors in DC/DC converters

    Root Causes and Effects of DC Bias and AC in Ceramic Capacitors

    How to Calculate the Output Capacitor for a Switching Power Supply

    Trending Tags

    • Capacitors explained
    • Inductors explained
    • Resistors explained
    • Filters explained
    • Application Video Guidelines
    • EMC
    • New Products
    • Ripple Current
    • Simulation
    • Tantalum vs Ceramic
  • Knowledge Blog
  • Suppliers
    • Who is Who
  • PCNS
    • PCNS 2025
    • PCNS 2023
    • PCNS 2021
    • PCNS 2019
    • PCNS 2017
  • Events
  • Home
  • NewsFilter
    • All
    • Aerospace & Defence
    • Antenna
    • Applications
    • Automotive
    • Capacitors
    • Circuit Protection Devices
    • electro-mechanical news
    • Filters
    • Fuses
    • Inductors
    • Industrial
    • Integrated Passives
    • inter-connect news
    • Market & Supply Chain
    • Market Insights
    • Medical
    • Modelling and Simulation
    • New Materials & Supply
    • New Technologies
    • Non-linear Passives
    • Oscillators
    • Passive Sensors News
    • Resistors
    • RF & Microwave
    • Telecommunication
    • Weekly Digest

    KYOCERA AVX Expands Stacked MLCC Capacitors Offering

    Murata and QuantumScape Joint Development for Solid Batteries Ceramic Separators

    YAGEO Unveils Compact 3.6kW LLC Transformer for OBC EV Charging

    Over-Voltage Protection Clippers, Clampers, Snubbers, DC Restorers

    KYOCERA Releases Shielded Board-to-Board Connectors for Reliable EMI Protection

    Wk 41 Electronics Supply Chain Digest

    Samtec Expands Connector Severe Environment Testing Offering

    Silicon Capacitors Market: Shaping the Foundation for Next-Gen Miniaturization Electronics

    YAGEO Releases Compact Coupled Inductors for High-Density VR Designs

    Trending Tags

    • Ripple Current
    • RF
    • Leakage Current
    • Tantalum vs Ceramic
    • Snubber
    • Low ESR
    • Feedthrough
    • Derating
    • Dielectric Constant
    • New Products
    • Market Reports
  • VideoFilter
    • All
    • Antenna videos
    • Capacitor videos
    • Circuit Protection Video
    • Filter videos
    • Fuse videos
    • Inductor videos
    • Inter-Connect Video
    • Non-linear passives videos
    • Oscillator videos
    • Passive sensors videos
    • Resistor videos

    Connector PCB Design Challenges

    Efficient Power Converters: Duty Cycle vs Conduction Losses

    Ripple Steering in Coupled Inductors: SEPIC Case

    SEPIC Converter with Coupled and Uncoupled Inductors

    Coupled Inductors in SEPIC versus Flyback Converters

    Non-Linear MLCC Class II Capacitor Measurements Challenges

    Percolation Phenomenon and Reliability of Molded Power Inductors in DC/DC converters

    Root Causes and Effects of DC Bias and AC in Ceramic Capacitors

    How to Calculate the Output Capacitor for a Switching Power Supply

    Trending Tags

    • Capacitors explained
    • Inductors explained
    • Resistors explained
    • Filters explained
    • Application Video Guidelines
    • EMC
    • New Products
    • Ripple Current
    • Simulation
    • Tantalum vs Ceramic
  • Knowledge Blog
  • Suppliers
    • Who is Who
  • PCNS
    • PCNS 2025
    • PCNS 2023
    • PCNS 2021
    • PCNS 2019
    • PCNS 2017
  • Events
No Result
View All Result
Passive Components Blog
No Result
View All Result

‘Conflict minerals’ entering tech supply chains from countries beyond Africa

17.12.2024
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A

source: mining news

The risk of human rights tainted tungsten, tin, tantalum and gold (3TG) entering the supply chains of tech firms is extending well beyond countries considered to be the traditional source of the so called “conflict minerals,” used by armed groups to finance their war against established governments.

RelatedPosts

KYOCERA AVX Expands Stacked MLCC Capacitors Offering

Murata and QuantumScape Joint Development for Solid Batteries Ceramic Separators

YAGEO Unveils Compact 3.6kW LLC Transformer for OBC EV Charging

African countries, particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo and those in the Great Lakes Region, are not longer the only nor the main providers of tainted 3TG, key to the production of high tech devices and batteries for electric cars, global risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft warns.

The company’s newly released Commodity Risk Service reveals that 3TG minerals are also being produced at sites under the control of armed groups in both Myanmar and Colombia in order to fund violence.

According to their findings, the United Wa State Army is involved in tin production in north-eastern Myanmar, with output traced to Chinese factories producing electronic products. In Colombia, in turn, armed groups such as the ELN are currently in control of gold and tungsten mining operations.

“US supply chain legislation on mandatory reporting and traceability has focused on 3TG minerals from the Great Lakes,” says Stefan Sabo-Walsh, director of commodities research at Verisk Maplecroft. “This can leave tech firms focused on one region despite the myriad of risks occurring elsewhere in their supply chains.”

Tin mostly mined by children

In its assessment of 20 key human rights and environmental issues related to the extraction of 3TG minerals globally, Verisk Maplecroft identifies tin as the commodity that poses the highest risk for labour rights violations. Outside of the DRC, the use of minors is extremely likely in three of the eight largest tin-producing countries – Bolivia, Myanmar and Indonesia – while five are also identified as “high risk” for forced labour, including China and Peru.

Slavery, unfortunately, is still present is some of the producing nations, Brazil and the DRC, the researches say.

Occupational health and safety violations are also widespread across the largest tin-producing countries. This is a particular issue in the informal mining sector, which sees artisanal miners and surrounding communities regularly exposed to hazards, including mine cave-ins and the spread of diseases such as malaria.

Tantalum, widely used in the production of electronics, is also heavily linked to child labour, with the producing countries of Mozambique, Burundi and Rwanda categorised as ‘extreme risk’ for the issue.

According to Verisk Maplecroft, child labour and other human rights abuses are much less likely to be an issue with responsible international mining majors, due to their application of best practice international standards. The problem for tech companies is they often don’t know if the metals used in their products come from irresponsibly managed operations – whether industrial or artisanal – as they lack visibility of their supply chains at the mine or smelter level. This leaves them exposed to the potential for their products to contain tantalum and other minerals mined by underage workers in extremely hazardous conditions.

The report comes on the heels of the European Parliament approval of mandatory conflict mineral reporting rules for all of its member countries. It also follows a February decision by US President Donald Trump to review and likely scale back the Dodd-Frank law, which requires companies to trace and report whether their products contain minerals from a war-torn part of Africa, and on which the EU’s own law is based.

‘Conflict minerals’ entering tech supply chains from countries beyond Africa — report
Courtesy of Verisk Maplecroft.
Featured image: Occupational health and safety violations are a widespread issue in the informal mining sector, which sees artisanal miners and surrounding communities regularly exposed to hazards, including mine cave-ins and the spread of diseases such as malaria. (Image by Fairphone | Flickr Commons)

Related

Recent Posts

Vishay Expanded Inductor Portfolio With More Than 2000 Stock Items 

8.10.2025
14

Paumanok Releases Capacitor Foils Market Report 2025-2030

7.10.2025
25

Advancements in Flexible End Terminations for Robust MLCCs in EV

26.9.2025
44

Passive Components J-STD-075 Process Sensitivity Level Classification And Labeling

25.9.2025
64

AI Hardware Development and Its Consequences for Passive Electronic Components

23.9.2025
75

Samtec Agreed with Molex Second-Source License on High-Speed Interconnects for Data Centers

18.9.2025
22

August 2025 ECIA US Components Sales Sentiment Remains Strong

18.9.2025
41

Electronics Weekly Announcing Finalists for Elektra Awards 2025

16.9.2025
18

Panasonic Industry to Double Production of MEGTRON PCB Materials

15.9.2025
22

DigiKey Presents Factory Tomorrow Season 5 Video Series

4.9.2025
16

Upcoming Events

Oct 15
20:00 - 20:30 CEST

Planar Design & Simulation

Oct 17
12:00 - 14:00 EDT

External Visual Inspection per MIL-STD-883 TM 2009

Oct 20
October 20 - October 23

Digital WE Days 2025 – Virtual Conference

View Calendar

Popular Posts

  • Buck Converter Design and Calculation

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Boost Converter Design and Calculation

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Flyback Converter Design and Calculation

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • LLC Resonant Converter Design and Calculation

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • What is a Dielectric Constant and DF of Plastic Materials?

    4 shares
    Share 4 Tweet 0
  • Ripple Current and its Effects on the Performance of Capacitors

    3 shares
    Share 3 Tweet 0
  • SEPIC Converter Design and Calculation

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Dual Active Bridge (DAB) Topology Explained

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • MLCC and Ceramic Capacitors

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Flying Capacitors Explained

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter Subscription

 

Passive Components Blog

© EPCI - Leading Passive Components Educational and Information Site

  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • EPCI Membership & Advertisement
  • About

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Knowledge Blog
  • PCNS

© EPCI - Leading Passive Components Educational and Information Site

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
Go to mobile version