Sponsors (2)
The bill increases public transparency about PRC-linked mining in Africa to help U.S. firms, consumers, and policymakers address forced labor and environmental harm, but does so at the risk of diplomatic fallout, reputational and economic harm to named entities, potential exposure of intelligence methods, and additional State Department burdens.
U.S. consumers and U.S. companies gain clearer information about PRC-linked mining operations in Africa, enabling them to avoid supply-chain ties to forced labor and environmentally harmful sites.
Congress and oversight bodies (and by extension regulators and businesses) receive actionable information to consider sanctions, trade restrictions, or targeted diplomacy against listed actors.
Public naming of sites tied to environmentally damaging mining could deter further harm and support conservation and state/local government efforts to protect sensitive areas.
African governments and U.S. diplomatic efforts could face strained relations and reduced on-the-ground cooperation if official lists are viewed as interfering in sovereign affairs.
Public disclosure of location-level data risks revealing sensitive intelligence sources or methods if not carefully redacted, potentially compromising operations and personnel.
Companies identified on the lists (and their employees) could suffer reputational harm, lost contracts, or financial consequences based on assessments that may later be disputed.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires the State Department to publish annual public lists for five years identifying PRC entities and specific African mines tied to forced labor or environmental harm.
Official title: Require the Secretary of State to annually issue a list of People's Republic of China-origin entities carrying out mining involving forced labor or causing environmental harm in African countries, and for other purposes.
Introduced April 30, 2026 by Timothy Patrick Sheehy · Last progress April 30, 2026
Requires the State Department to publish an annual public (unclassified) list for five years identifying Chinese (PRC) entities and the specific mines, concessions, or mining zones in African countries where the Department reasonably assesses they are mining critical minerals, gold, or iron using forced labor or causing environmental harm to protected areas. The list must draw on open-source and embassy information, consult several U.S. agencies and foreign counterparts, may include a classified annex for Congress, and must be sent to the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations Committees.