Conflict Minerals Statement
CableWholesale does not sell products that are manufactured with conflict minerals imported from the Democratic Republic of the Congo or other central African countries per the Conflict-Mineral Rule. We have worked with our business partners to ensure that no minerals in question (tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold) derived from those areas have been used while manufacturing our products.
Conflict minerals are mined in many war-torn parts of Africa, mostly in the mineral dense land of Eastern Congo. This is where many of these minerals are illegally excavated and distributed; with profits financing rebel armies that have taken control of the majority of mineral mines in those regions. These militant armies in turn commit serious human rights violations against civilians, including women and children. The Democratic Republic of Congo is known for severe violence and chaos due to the indefinite amount of money that these minerals are worth, and the corrupt mining and distribution.
Many of these minerals have been used in a variety of consumer electronics for years, including laptops, cellphones and computer hardware. This struggle began back in the mid-1990s and has been a continuing issue for almost twenty years. American corporations were at one time one of the biggest consumers of these conflict minerals. There are now regulations in place regarding the regions where these minerals can be purchased.
In 2010 President Barack Obama signed the "Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act" which brought the controversy to the forefront, and requires public companies to disclose the origins of the materials used in their merchandise. This helps to ensure that the minerals used in American consumer goods are not financing these Congolese conflicts. Publicly listed companies are required to submit this information directly to the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) yearly. Although there are no penalties currently being enforced against companies that do not comply with the act, these companies are required to list the graphical origins of the materials that they are using in their products.
Today there is a large push for regulations of not only the mineral mines, but also of the smelting furnaces where the minerals are changed from ores to metal. This is part of "Conflict-Free Smelter Program," or CFS. If this can be achieved, more of these high-demand minerals can be mined and purchased fairly. This would be the best solution for both manufacturers and locals in these areas; both to stimulate the local economies and help bring an end to the tragic violence.
