September 8, 2014 -- The leading industry initiative on conflict minerals, the Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative, welcomes the recent report from the U.S. Department of Commerce on conflict minerals processing facilities, and looks forward to the Department of Commerce’s efforts to collaborate further with existing industry efforts on conflict minerals due diligence.
The CFSI’s lists of validated conflict-free smelters and refiners of tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold (3TG) were referenced in the Department of Commerce’s report. The CFSI also produces a list of known smelters and refiners of 3TG – including ones that have not been validated conflict free – and publishes them in its Conflict Minerals Reporting Template (CMRT). That information, while not referenced in the Department of Commerce report, includes over 200 smelters and refiners. To determine which types of companies may be listed as known smelters and refiners, the CFSI adheres to a standard definition of “smelter” and “refiner,” which is defined in the CMRT.
“For over five years, the CFSI has made extraordinary efforts to collect and verify information about smelters and refiners of tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold. We appreciate the efforts of the Department of Commerce to compile this information. Having experience mapping our own supply chains, we look forward to additional collaboration with the Department of Commerce in order to bring the most information possible to companies seeking to make informed choices about conflict minerals in their supply chains,” said Michael Rohwer, Program Director of the Responsible Minerals Initiative.
Contact
Julie Schindall
Director of Communications & Stakeholder Engagement
Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition
jschindall@responsiblebusiness.org / +1 571.858.5721 / +1 703.647.0967
