The 3TG category focuses attention on tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold. Due diligence has increased the importance of supply-chain information, but tags and forms do not independently establish the physical truth of a chain.
Credible systems require material identification, representative assessment, chain-of-custody records, secure transport, responsible processing routes and organisational capability to investigate anomalies.
Source-side infrastructure matters because it is where information begins. Laboratories, records, custody processes, aggregation systems and professional management strengthen the evidence available to the next stage.
Documentation has value when it records a real system. Without physical infrastructure, the document cannot carry the entire burden of assurance.
The industrial task is to connect responsible sourcing with the operating capacity that makes traceable supply possible.
References
Source panel
- [3] OECD — Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas
Responsible mineral-supply-chain management, purchasing practices, transparency and conflict-risk due diligence.
- [4] U.S. Geological Survey — Mineral Commodity Summaries
Annual commodity information, mineral statistics, industry structure and government-programme context.
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