(The Epoch Times)—The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded $22 million to groups in Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo to combat China’s reliance on labor abuse as a way to control global critical mineral supply chains.
Human rights organizations, researchers, and government agencies have documented extensive labor rights violations in the two countries, according to the department.
The grants support efforts to eliminate labor exploitation in key mineral supply chains in Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo that are essential to U.S. manufacturing, energy production, and national security, the department said.
“By addressing abusive labor practices overseas, these projects help ensure that American workers and companies that play by the rules can compete on a level playing field,” the department said in a statement.
Winrock International was awarded $7 million, and the Center for Advanced Defense Studies was awarded $3 million to combat labor exploitation in Indonesia’s nickel supply chain.
Indonesia is the world’s largest nickel producer, producing about half of the world’s supply. The metal is key for electronics, aerospace, manufacturing, stainless steel, electric vehicle batteries, and energy storage.
Chinese companies currently control 75 percent of Indonesia’s nickel refining capacity, raising concerns about supply chain resilience, according to the Center for Advanced Defense Studies.
In 2024, the Department of Labor added Indonesian nickel to its annual list of goods produced by forced labor.
Investigations have also found lax workplace safety in the country’s processing facilities, with over 90 deaths and more than 100 injuries reported from 2015 to 2023, according to the Center for Advanced Defense Studies report.
In Congo, the Department of Labor also awarded $7 million to international nonprofit Pact and $5 million to Christian humanitarian nonprofit World Vision to combat egregious labor practices in the cobalt, copper, tantalum, tin, and tungsten supply chains of that nation.
The Democratic Republic of Congo produces more than 70 percent of global cobalt and holds more than half of the world’s cobalt resources.
A 2023 Department of Labor study revealed that nearly 80 percent of employed cobalt workers were considered forced labor, making about $2 a day under hazardous conditions.
Chinese companies also control about 80 percent of critical mineral production in Congo, and most materials produced are sent to China for processing, according to the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.
The Department of Labor’s awards were in alignment with President Donald Trump’s executive order titled “Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production” and signed in March 2025. The order aims to reduce American reliance on foreign nations for specified mineral resources.
