OEM upstream traceability in 3T supply chains faces a new conflict test

ITSCI

OEM upstream traceability in 3T supply chains is under fresh pressure as conflict reshapes tantalum sourcing from central Africa. ITSCI warns that OEM upstream traceability in 3T supply chains cannot deliver mine-by-mine disclosure once material is smelted. However, the group argues that OEM upstream traceability in 3T supply chains should mean deeper engagement with upstream schemes, not blanket disengagement.

OEM upstream traceability in 3T supply chains has hard technical limits

OEMs increasingly ask which specific mine sits behind each component in their products. ITSCI stresses this is technically impossible after smelting. Smelters can receive ore from any of 3,000 ITSCI-monitored mine sites across the Great Lakes Region.

Through ITSCI, smelters know the precise mine origin of incoming tagged consignments. However, smelters routinely blend those inputs with concentrates from other countries. Once material is smelted, minerals lose mine-level identity and cannot be traced back. Therefore, OEM expectations of exact mine mapping at product level do not match process realities.

Instead, ITSCI says OEMs should plug into programme data on monitored mines, local context and production trends. Yet only seven downstream companies are associate members today. As a result, governance influence and feedback from the largest electronics and auto brands remains limited.

Disengagement from Great Lakes 3T supply hits conflict regions and buyers

Some OEMs, including Apple, have told suppliers to stop sourcing tantalum from DRC and Rwanda. They fear any link to non-state armed groups in contested mining areas. However, ITSCI argues that exiting these regions should be reserved for last-resort situations. Responsible sourcing from the Great Lakes Region remains possible under robust due diligence and monitoring.

The DRC is a major producer of tantalum, tungsten and tin concentrates, the so-called 3T conflict minerals. Tantalum feeds capacitor powders used in data centres, EVs, notebooks and wearables. Therefore, blanket withdrawal from the region risks shrinking legal supply just as demand for advanced electronics grows.

Meanwhile, China has consolidated its position as the largest buyer of central African tantalum and niobium concentrates. Chinese imports from Rwanda and DRC edged higher year on year in January–July. At the same time, many DRC mine sites fell under M23 control and can no longer be independently monitored. This combination of conflict, opaque trade flows and limited OEM engagement heightens systemic ESG risk.

The Metalnomist Commentary

ITSCI’s message is blunt: perfect mine-level transparency is impossible, but better OEM upstream traceability in 3T supply chains is not. Brands that simply walk away from DRC and Rwanda may reduce headline risk, yet they also cede influence to buyers less concerned with ESG. The real test will be whether more OEMs join and fund upstream schemes, using their leverage to improve conditions rather than abandon challenging regions.