S. 4473

119 S4473 IS: China-Africa Mining Transparency Act
 U.S. Senate
 2026-04-30
 text/xml
 EN
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 II  119th CONGRESS  2d Session  S. 4473  IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES   April 30, 2026   Mr. Sheehy  (for himself and  Mr. Coons ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the  Committee on Foreign Relations    A BILL
To 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.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   China-Africa Mining Transparency Act  .
2.
Annual list of PRC entities carrying out mining involving forced labor or causing environmental harm in African countries
(a)
Definitions
In this Act:
(1)
Artisanal and small-scale mining
The term  artisanal and small-scale mining  means a form of mining common in the developing world that—
(A)
typically employs rudimentary and low-cost extractive technologies and manual labor-intensive techniques;
(B)
is frequently subject to limited regulation; and
(C)
often features inhumane, harsh, and dangerous working conditions.
(2)
Critical mineral
The term  critical mineral  has the meaning given that term in section 7002(a) of the Energy Act of 2020 ( 30 U.S.C. 1606(a) ).
(3)
Environmental harm to a protected area
The term  environmental harm to a protected area  means damage to the environment of a protected area, such as—
(A)
contamination of water resources, streams, rivers, lakes, or other bodies of water, including wells, aquifers, or soil;
(B)
soil degradation or erosion; or
(C)
degradation of aquatic or terrestrial ecosystems or biodiversity loss.
(4)
Forced labor
The term  forced labor  has the meaning given that term in section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 ( 19 U.S.C. 1307 ).
(5)
Large-scale mining
The term  large-scale mining  means capital-intensive, usually highly mechanized, typically industrial-scale mining carried out by large commercial entities.
(6)
PRC entity
The term  PRC entity  means—
(A)
an entity under the ownership, control, or influence of—
(i)
the Government of the People’s Republic of China;
(ii)
the Chinese Communist Party; or
(iii)
a military, intelligence, or paramilitary entity of the Chinese Communist Party or the People’s Republic of China;
(B)
an entity that is organized under the laws of, or otherwise subject to the jurisdiction of, the People’s Republic of China (including Hong Kong and Macau);
(C)
an entity majority-owned, majority-controlled, or majority-financed by an entity described in subparagraph (A) or (B); or
(D)
a parent, subsidiary, affiliate, or contractor of an entity described in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C), including a joint venture in which an entity described in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) holds a controlling interest.
(7)
Protected area
The term  protected area  means any area that has received protected status in the country in which the area is located, such as a national park, game refuge, ecosystem reserve, or other nature preserve.
(8)
Relevant congressional committees
The term  relevant congressional committees  means the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.
(b)
In general
Not less frequently than once each year during the 5-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the relevant congressional committees, and make publicly available, including on the internet, a list of—
(1)
each PRC entity that the Secretary reasonably assesses is carrying out mining, including large-scale mining or artisanal and small-scale mining, of critical minerals, gold, or iron in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Guinea, Zambia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, or any other country in Africa—
(A)
using forced labor; or
(B)
in a manner that causes environmental harm to a protected area in the country concerned; and
(2)
each mine, mining zone, or concession at which such mining is carried out.
(c)
Development of list
In developing each list required by subsection (b), the Secretary of State shall—
(1)
use open-source information, including from press sources and academic, non-profit, and other non-state research organizations or individual researchers, and information received, collected, or otherwise obtained by United States embassies; and
(2)
consult with the Secretary of Labor, through the Bureau of International Labor Affairs of the Department of Labor, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Director of National Intelligence, and other heads of Federal departments and agencies, and the foreign country counterparts of such individuals in the countries specified in subsection (b)(1).
(d)
Form
Each list required by subsection (b) shall be made publicly available and submitted to the relevant congressional committees in unclassified form, but the version submitted to the relevant congressional committees may include a classified annex, if warranted.