Stop China’s Exploitation of Congolese Children and Adult Forced Labor through Cobalt Mining Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 10346 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 10346 To ensure that goods made using or containing cobalt extracted or processed with the use of child or forced labor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo do not enter the United States market. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 10, 2026 Mr. Smith of New Jersey introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To ensure that goods made using or containing cobalt extracted or processed with the use of child or forced labor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo do not enter the United States market. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Stop China's Exploitation of Congolese Children and Adult Forced Labor through Cobalt Mining Act''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress makes the following findings: (1) Cobalt is an essential component of most lithium-ion batteries, which are key components in many smartphones, laptops, and electric vehicles, among other electronic devices. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), worldwide demand is expected to increase over 1,000 percent for lithium and 600 percent for cobalt by 2040, as demands for alternative energy systems and battery storage are expected to grow significantly during this period. (2) More than one-half of the world's cobalt resources are in the DRC, which supplied approximately 73 percent of the global cobalt mine production in 2025. (3) Fifteen of the DRC's 19 cobalt mines are reportedly owned wholly or in part by companies located in the People's Republic of China. (4) Numerous analysts report significant concerns with forced labor