{"schemaVersion":"2.0","canonicalUrl":"https://s1.salientone.eu/sourcing-risk/dr-congo/mining/cobalt","country":{"isoA3":"COD","name":"DR Congo","slug":"dr-congo"},"sector":{"code":"mining","label":"Mining & Extractives"},"commodity":"cobalt","subject":"cobalt","subjectSlug":"cobalt","countryContextBand":"severe","sectorContextBand":"high","directEvidenceBand":"severe","sectorEvidenceBand":"moderate","decisionRouting":"Enhanced evidence is indicated before supplier onboarding, award or renewal.","summary":"[S/1] records 4 source-linked signals relevant to cobalt in DR Congo's mining & extractives sector. The most elevated subject-specific evidence is rated severe. Country context is severe and sector-adjusted context is high. Enhanced evidence is indicated before supplier onboarding, award or renewal.","evidenceAvailable":true,"signals":[{"riskType":"conflict_mineral","riskLevel":"severe","subject":"cobalt","value":null,"valueUnit":null,"source":"Salient One CAHRA screening assessment","sourceUrl":"https://s1.salientone.eu/methodology#sourcing-risk-evidence","sourceRecordUrl":"https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/development-and-sustainability/conflict-minerals-regulation/help-your-business_en","referenceId":null,"sourceYear":2024,"sourceEffectiveDate":null,"retrievedAt":"2026-08-22T15:20:05.437Z","derivedBy":"Salient One","methodVersion":"cahra-screen-1.0","assessmentBasis":"S1 screening-priority assessment derived from a fixed 2021–2024 conflict-area evidence review. No external publication date is claimed. It is not an OECD designation and the official CAHRA list is indicative and non-exhaustive.","enforcementStatus":null,"scope":"subject"},{"riskType":"child_labour","riskLevel":"high","subject":"Cobalt Ore (heterogenite)","value":null,"valueUnit":null,"source":"US DOL TVPRA","sourceUrl":"https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/reports/child-labor/list-of-goods","sourceRecordUrl":"https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ilab/child_labor_reports/tda2023/2024ListofGoodsExcel.xlsx","referenceId":"Cobalt Ore (heterogenite)","sourceYear":2024,"sourceEffectiveDate":"2024-09-05","retrievedAt":"2026-08-22T16:23:55.003Z","derivedBy":"Salient One","methodVersion":"tvpra-sector-map-1.0","assessmentBasis":"US DOL-listed good mapped to the S1 Mining & Quarrying sector. The high band routes enhanced verification and is not a finding about a specific supplier or shipment.","enforcementStatus":"listed","scope":"subject"},{"riskType":"forced_labour","riskLevel":"high","subject":"Cobalt Ore (heterogenite)","value":null,"valueUnit":null,"source":"US DOL TVPRA","sourceUrl":"https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/reports/child-labor/list-of-goods","sourceRecordUrl":"https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ilab/child_labor_reports/tda2023/2024ListofGoodsExcel.xlsx","referenceId":"Cobalt Ore (heterogenite)","sourceYear":2024,"sourceEffectiveDate":"2024-09-05","retrievedAt":"2026-08-22T16:23:55.003Z","derivedBy":"Salient One","methodVersion":"tvpra-sector-map-1.0","assessmentBasis":"US DOL-listed good mapped to the S1 Mining & Quarrying sector. The high band routes enhanced verification and is not a finding about a specific supplier or shipment.","enforcementStatus":"listed","scope":"subject"},{"riskType":"customs_detention","riskLevel":"moderate","subject":null,"value":null,"valueUnit":null,"source":"CBP WRO","sourceUrl":"https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/2026-06/withhold-release-orders-findings-fy26-may.csv","sourceRecordUrl":"https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/cbp-modifies-withhold-release-order-gold-imports-democratic-republic","referenceId":"Artisanal Small Mines","sourceYear":2019,"sourceEffectiveDate":"2019-09-30","retrievedAt":"2026-08-22T15:20:26.227Z","derivedBy":"Salient One","methodVersion":"cbp-enforcement-routing-1.0","assessmentBasis":"WRO mapped to a diligence-routing band using CBP's distinction between reasonable-but-inconclusive WRO evidence and a Finding determination.","enforcementStatus":"Partially Modified","scope":"sector"}],"sources":[{"name":"Salient One CAHRA screening assessment","url":"https://s1.salientone.eu/methodology#sourcing-risk-evidence"},{"name":"US DOL TVPRA","url":"https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/reports/child-labor/list-of-goods"},{"name":"CBP WRO","url":"https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/2026-06/withhold-release-orders-findings-fy26-may.csv"}],"priorityDomains":[{"domain":"governance","label":"Governance","band":"severe","explanation":"Regulatory enforcement risk is intensified by sector-specific governance deficits (×1.5)."},{"domain":"corruption","label":"Corruption","band":"severe","explanation":"Intensified corruption exposure driven by sector-specific opaque procurement (×2.5), elevating the effective risk rating from high to severe."},{"domain":"forced_labour","label":"Forced Labour","band":"severe","explanation":"Sector intensified forced labour exposure (×1.3) — jurisdictional forced labour indices include: Cobalt ore (heterogenite), Copper ore, Diamonds and 4 supplementary categories, elevating the effective risk rating from high to severe."},{"domain":"conflict","label":"Conflict & Violence","band":"severe","explanation":"Regional security risks are intensified by sector-specific asset vulnerability (×2.5), elevating the effective risk rating from moderate to severe."}],"evidenceActions":[{"label":"Reconstruct ownership and actual control, including material historical changes and opaque jurisdictions.","source":"stage"},{"label":"Verify licences, banking route, tax or distress signals and the operating facts material to the engagement.","source":"stage"},{"label":"Preserve the approval rationale, evidence dates, limitations, owner and next review trigger.","source":"stage"},{"label":"Execute verification of correspondent banking stability and document de-risking impacts on settlement latency.","source":"engine"},{"label":"Formally document Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD), including UBO verification and source-of-wealth analysis.","source":"engine"},{"label":"Initiate Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD)","source":"engine"},{"label":"Execute Ultimate Beneficial Ownership (UBO) verification","source":"engine"},{"label":"Perform forensic Forced Labour supply chain assessment","source":"engine"},{"label":"Run comprehensive Sanctions and Export Control screening","source":"engine"}],"questions":[{"question":"What should a buyer verify before sourcing cobalt from DR Congo?","answer":"Enhanced evidence is indicated before supplier onboarding, award or renewal. Establish the supplier's legal identity and current status, reconstruct ownership and control, screen connected parties, verify operating capacity and preserve the evidence dates, limitations and review trigger."},{"question":"What evidence does [S/1] record for cobalt from DR Congo?","answer":"cobalt is directly matched to conflict-mineral evidence for DR Congo, rated severe. The source vintage is 2024. The interpretation is derived by Salient One under method cahra-screen-1.0. cobalt is directly matched to child-labour evidence for DR Congo, rated high. The source vintage is 2024. Reference: Cobalt Ore (heterogenite). Source status: listed. The interpretation is derived by Salient One under method tvpra-sector-map-1.0. cobalt is directly matched to forced-labour evidence for DR Congo, rated high. The source vintage is 2024. Reference: Cobalt Ore (heterogenite). Source status: listed. The interpretation is derived by Salient One under method tvpra-sector-map-1.0. The mining & extractives sector has forced-labour detention evidence for DR Congo, rated moderate. The source vintage is 2019. Reference: Artisanal Small Mines. Source status: Partially Modified. The interpretation is derived by Salient One under method cbp-enforcement-routing-1.0."},{"question":"Where does the cobalt sourcing evidence come from?","answer":"The matching observations come from Salient One CAHRA screening assessment, US DOL TVPRA, CBP WRO. Each evidence row shows its source vintage or observation date and links to the source where available."},{"question":"Does this brief clear a DR Congo supplier?","answer":"No. This is a country-, sector- and commodity-level routing aid. It does not establish the identity, ownership, sanctions status, operating capacity, legality or suitability of any supplier or transaction."}],"limitations":["This brief is a country-, sector- and commodity-level evidence-routing aid, not a supplier verdict.","A source match is not a finding about a specific entity, shipment or transaction.","No matching observation is not evidence of absence; source coverage and publication cycles differ.","Verify current primary records and apply the governing law and your organisation's controls before a material decision."],"datePublished":"2026-08-22","dateModified":"2026-08-24"}