THE AUTO INDUSTRY AND CONFLICT MINERALS:

Driving Supply Chain Responsibility

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start the journey

WHAT ARE

“CONFLICT

MINERALS?”

DEFINITION

The minerals TIN, TANTALUM, TUNGSTEN and GOLD (also referred to as “3TG”) are considered “conflict minerals” because they are often mined in conditions of armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and surrounding countries.

WARLORDS
BENEFIT

Conflict minerals provide a major source of funding for warlords in the DRC region, fueling the violence that has plagued the region for decades.

PEOPLE SUFFER

These armed groups use violence to intimidate local populations and maintain control of mines, where workers endure extreme conditions with little or no pay. The atrocities in the region have created a massive humanitarian crisis and a death toll of 5.5 million that grows by the day.

HOW CONFLICT

MINERALS AFFECT US

EVERYDAY USES

Conflict minerals are used in a wide range of products including mobile phones, computers, jewelry and vehicles.

TANTALUM:

Audio equipment, climate control, sensors, wiper system, seatbelts and fuel pump to name only a few.

TIN:

Fuel tank, sealants, wiring, radiator, even the seat cushions.

GOLD:

On board electronics and fuel cells.

TUNGSTEN:

Circuits, gear teeth and bearing components.

That’s why automakers (also referred to as Original Equipment Manufacturers or OEMs) and their supply chain partners work together to make sure global vehicle production doesn’t support warlords or further the conflict in the DRC.

A TIMELINE OF

INDUSTRY ACTION

Auto Industry
Forms AIAG

MAY 1982

Congress Passes
Law on 3TG

JULY 2010

AIAG Starts
Collaborating on
Industry Solutions

AUGUST 2010

AIAG and OEMs
Issue Call to Action

APRIL 2011

SEC Issues Final
3TG Reporting
Requirements

AUGUST 2012

AIAG Endorses
Reporting Tools

AUGUST 2012

Conflict Minerals
Reports Due to SEC

MAY 31, 2014

OEMs and suppliers form the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG), whose 1000+ member companies today collaborate to resolve global issues in the automotive supply chain.

AIAG works with six of its largest members—Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Nissan and Toyota—to send a letter to thousands of suppliers encouraging them to join industry action on the conflict minerals issue: “It is our intention to do what we can to ensure that the parts and assemblies in our vehicles and products, regardless of where they are assembled or sold, do not contain conflict minerals which have contributed to the armed conflict in the DRC.”

THE TIME TO

ENGAGE IS NOW

SHARED
RESPONSIBILITY

No one company in the global supply chain bears the responsibility alone. OEMs and suppliers in numerous industries—
automotive, aerospace, heavy equipment, electronics and more—
must work together to efficiently address the conflict minerals challenge.