Trump Admin Awards $22 Million for Critical Mineral Supply Chains

The funding will target labor exploitation in Indonesia and Congo, where Chinese companies control critical mineral processing.

An excavator in use during exploration for nickel ore, a critical component used in electric vehicle batteries, on Wawonii Island in southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. Adek Berry/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded $22 million to groups in Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo to combat China’s reliance on labor abuse as a way to control global critical mineral supply chains.

Human rights organizations, researchers, and government agencies have documented extensive labor rights violations in the two countries, according to the department.