Michael J. Kavanagh at Bloomberg:
Rules backed by Apple Inc. and Intel Corp. to stop sales of minerals used in electronics from funding war in Central Africa took effect today, forcing miners from the region to seek new buyers in Asia, according to exporters.
“There is a de-facto embargo, it’s very clear,” said John Kanyoni, president of the mineral exporters association of North Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. “We’re committed to continue with all these programs. But at the same time we’re traveling soon to Asia to find alternatives.”
The Conflict-Free Smelter program applies to tin, tungsten, gold and coltan from the Congo and neighboring countries. This program was backed by numerous tech firms, including Intel and Apple.
In recent years, Apple has undergone numerous steps to become more responsible to the countries its products come from, mainly via its annual Supplier Responsibility report.
Article Via Apple Insider
