“Abigail Hunter, executive director of the Center for Critical Minerals Strategy at energy security think tank SAFE, said this means that even if the U.S. isn’t directly importing the minerals, it is still likely importing items that contain them.
‘That means we are importing embedded material—which is almost always going through China for further transformation—AND that we have less leverage over how the material is extracted, including if it is extracted with forced, child, or forced child labor,’ Hunter said in a written statement to The Hill.
Lithium-ion batteries represent one mineral-based product that the U.S. imports from China.
However, Hunter said that by participating in the energy transition, the U.S. can try to curb the use of unethical labor.
‘The clean energy transition, which is driving US demand for these materials to new horizons, presents the opportunity for us to engage directly and encourage a shift away [from] these practices as a demand source and investor,’ she said.”
Read the full story: “Report on forced labor, child labor raises tough questions in green energy transition“
