This bill, known as the COBALT Supply Chain Act, aims to prevent goods containing cobalt refined in China from entering the U.S. market if that cobalt was extracted using child or forced labor in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The legislation creates a legal presumption that goods made with cobalt refined in China are products of forced or child labor, unless importers can prove otherwise with clear and convincing evidence. The bill affects importers, manufacturers of electronics and electric vehicles, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which must enforce the new import restrictions starting 180 days after the law's enactment. The bill requires the government's Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force to develop a comprehensive enforcement strategy within 120 days and submit quarterly briefings to Congress, while also requiring the President to annually certify that federal vehicle purchases contain no parts made with forced or child labor. The enforcement provisions sunset after eight years or earlier if the President determines child and forced labor in Congo's mining industry has ended.
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