# cobalt from DR Congo — sourcing evidence brief

[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.

Country context: severe
Sector-adjusted context: high
Direct evidence: severe
Sector evidence: moderate
Modified: 2026-08-24

## Source-linked evidence
- Salient One CAHRA screening assessment — conflict mineral — severe — cobalt (2024) — derived by Salient One (cahra-screen-1.0) — https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/development-and-sustainability/conflict-minerals-regulation/help-your-business_en
- US DOL TVPRA — child labour — high — Cobalt Ore (heterogenite) — effective 2024-09-05 — status listed — derived by Salient One (tvpra-sector-map-1.0) — https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ilab/child_labor_reports/tda2023/2024ListofGoodsExcel.xlsx
- US DOL TVPRA — forced labour — high — Cobalt Ore (heterogenite) — effective 2024-09-05 — status listed — derived by Salient One (tvpra-sector-map-1.0) — https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ilab/child_labor_reports/tda2023/2024ListofGoodsExcel.xlsx
- CBP WRO — customs detention — moderate — effective 2019-09-30 — status Partially Modified — derived by Salient One (cbp-enforcement-routing-1.0) — https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/cbp-modifies-withhold-release-order-gold-imports-democratic-republic

## What to verify next
1. Reconstruct ownership and actual control, including material historical changes and opaque jurisdictions.
2. Verify licences, banking route, tax or distress signals and the operating facts material to the engagement.
3. Preserve the approval rationale, evidence dates, limitations, owner and next review trigger.
4. Execute verification of correspondent banking stability and document de-risking impacts on settlement latency.
5. Formally document Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD), including UBO verification and source-of-wealth analysis.
6. Initiate Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD)
7. Execute Ultimate Beneficial Ownership (UBO) verification
8. Perform forensic Forced Labour supply chain assessment
9. Run comprehensive Sanctions and Export Control screening

## 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.

Full brief: https://s1.salientone.eu/sourcing-risk/dr-congo/mining/cobalt