"....More than half of all cobalt passes through China at some point in the supply chain, according to Darton Commodities.
Renault said its battery supply chain included the Chinese mining group Huayou, the parent company of Congo Dongfang International Mining, which was accused by Amnesty International in 2016 of purchasing cobalt produced in areas of the DRC "where child labor is rife."
CNN found children were used to wash and grind down cobalt in dirty, dangerous conditions in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Huayou responded to the accusations, telling CNN it had "suspended" cobalt purchases from artisanal miners that sold their minerals in DRC's open markets.
"Huayou stands alone as the only Chinese cobalt company [which has] begun to actively address the ethical sourcing challenges related to DRC cobalt," it said.
Whistleblowers speaking to CNN on condition of anonymity alleged that Huayou still continues to buy from artisanal mines via subcontractors. CNN alerted Huayou to these findings and the company said it has launched an investigation."
