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Conflict Minerals

The U.S. conflict minerals legislation is designed to reduce funding to armed groups benefiting from mineral trade in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) or adjoining countries. Ford is required to investigate the origin of the conflict minerals in our products. Our goal is to use only conflict-free sources of tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold. We file an annual report disclosing the status of conflict minerals in our products.

What Are Conflict Minerals?

Tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold (3TG) are used in many auto parts and components, from engine assemblies to airbags. We work tirelessly to ensure the minerals we use in our vehicles are DRC conflict-free, and continue to support responsible mineral sourcing in the DRC and adjoining countries.

Disclosure and Reporting

In August 2012, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted the final rule to implement reporting and disclosure requirements concerning conflict minerals. Since 2014, under the US Dodd-Frank Act 2010,¹ public companies have been required to conduct due diligence to determine the origin of the conflict minerals in their products and report annually to the SEC in the hope of ending violent conflict in the DRC and adjoining countries.

We are one of several automotive manufacturers obliged to report on conflict minerals in our supply chains in a Specialized Disclosure report, filed annually with the SEC. Our 2016 Conflict Minerals Report received a “strong” rating from Responsible Sourcing Network.

To enable compliance with this disclosure rule, suppliers that provide us with components containing 3TG are expected to conduct due diligence to understand the origins of such minerals, source them responsibly and not knowingly provide parts containing minerals that may contribute to conflict. They are also encouraged to use validated, DRC conflict-free smelters and refiners for the 3TG purchased for use in Ford products. We encourage them to use the Due Diligence Guidance compiled by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to assess the chain of custody of these minerals.

Reporting Progress

Suppliers are required to submit an annual Conflict Minerals Reporting Template (CMRT) to Ford. For the past two years, we met our goal to achieve a 100 percent response rate from in-scope suppliers.

In 2017, we will continue to work with our suppliers to improve the quality of their reports.

 Read our 2016 Conflict Minerals Disclosure (pdf, 402kb) filing, and download our Conflict Minerals Policy (pdf, 156kb) for more information

Industry and Cross-Industry Leadership

Our leadership position among our industry peers, across other sectors and in multi-stakeholder initiatives extends to developing solutions and sharing best practices to ensure responsible sourcing in our supply chain.

Our memberships and leadership positions include the following:

• Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) – Ford’s active role on the Smelter Engagement and Best Practices teams supports the development of processes and tools to educate suppliers and improve supply chain reporting transparency

• Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative (CFSI) – Ford is a member of the CFSI Steering Committee and one of more than 300 CFSI members participating in cross-industry smelter engagement including smelter visits and other initiatives to encourage smelter participation in the Conflict-Free Smelter Program. In addition, Ford is an active participant in the CFSI Multi-Stakeholder Group and the CFSI Due Diligence Practice team

• Public-Private Alliance for Responsible Minerals Trade (PPA) – Ford serves on the PPA’s Governance Committee contributing to regional solutions for certified conflict-free minerals

Future Goals

As we continue on our conflict minerals journey, we have set the following goals:

• 100 percent response rate from in-scope suppliers for annual reporting
• Year-over-year improvement in the percentage of suppliers providing smelter lists
• Year-over-year improvement in the percentage of suppliers using CFSI-compliant conflict-free smelters
• Participate in smelter outreach efforts to encourage participation in the CFSI audit process