U.S. Pushes for Responsible Sourcing from the DRC (.PDF Download)

The tantalum, tin, tungsten and gold (3TG) used to build everything from capacitors to smartphones to welding electrodes are often mined in a way that abuses human rights, damages the environment and finances armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The 3TGs are labeled “conflict minerals” when their extraction and trade undermine human rights and fuels violence.