State-imposed forced labor in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has deeply infiltrated global supply chains, resulting in the mass production of essential minerals — including titanium, lithium, beryllium and magnesium — under coercive conditions.

According to the Global Rights Compliance report released on Tuesday, these materials are embedded in a wide array of everyday goods, placing governments, industries and consumers that procure them at risk of complicity in serious human rights violations.

The report, Risk at the Source, reveals that the People’s Republic of China controls at least one stage in the value chains of 30 out of 44 minerals deemed critical by the United States.

In particular, the PRC has rapidly expanded mining and processing operations in the XUAR, which now holds 103 proven mineral reserves — 77 of which rank among China’s top 10.

The XUAR accounts for 11.6 percent of global titanium sponge production, 1.5 percent of lithium carbonate equivalent production, 11 percent of global beryllium mining output, and 5.3 percent of the world’s smelted magnesium.

The PRC’s industrial policy has made XUAR a hub for energy- and labor-intensive sectors, with forced labor programs affecting Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities integrated into mining operations.

Forced Labor and Supply Chain Risks

GRC identified 77 companies operating in XUAR across the four mineral sectors that are at risk of participating in forced labor programs. Of these:

  • 15 companies have directly sourced from entities in the region within the past two years.
  • 68 downstream customers were found to have indirect exposure through sourcing.
  • 18 parent companies may source inputs from subsidiaries operating in Xinjiang.

The region’s reliance on coal, absence of labor protections and opaque trade networks allow for artificially low production costs that undercut ethical global competition.

Products from these supply chains encompass a wide range of items, including electric vehicle batteries, aluminum alloys, aerospace parts and consumer electronics.

Industry Exposure by Mineral

Titanium used in aerospace, automotive, and paints, titanium sponge production in the XUAR accounts for 17 percent of China’s total. Hunan Wujo Group and CNNC Hua Yuan Titanium Dioxide Co. are leading players, with products linked to household items and international commercial paints.

The study further stated that lithium mining and processing are expanding rapidly in the region. The metal is critical for EVs and renewable energy storage, and key operators include Xinjiang Zhicun New Energy Materials and the U.S.-sanctioned Xinjiang Nonferrous Metals Group.

Vital to defense and telecommunications, over 50 percent of China’s beryllium is mined in the region. State-owned Fuyun Hengsheng Beryllium, a subsidiary of Nonferrous Metals Group, oversees the production.

Used in lightweight metal alloys, the XUAR’s magnesium output is expected to double in 2025. Suppliers include Xinjiang Jinsheng Magnesium and REMT Group Holdings, which sell to major aluminum producers.

Legal and Reputational Risks

Due to the PRC’s systemic repression, including forced relocations and internments, companies sourcing from Xinjiang face growing legal risks under international statutes such as the U.S. Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which presumes all goods from the region involve forced labor unless proven otherwise.

The GRC report highlighted that current due diligence efforts — including third-party audits — are unreliable due to pervasive surveillance and government obstruction in the region.

The report urges immediate action from governments and private-sector entities:

To Governments

  • Enforce import bans on goods linked to forced labor, with a rebuttable presumption for high-risk sectors.
  • Pass mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence laws.
  • Name titanium, lithium, beryllium, and magnesium as priority sectors under UFLPA.
  • Require disclosure of critical raw material suppliers with GPS-level transparency.

To Companies

  • Exit supply chains linked to the Uyghur Region and conduct end-to-end supply chain mapping.
  • Elevate human rights due diligence to board-level oversight.
  • Avoid commissioning social audits in the region due to concerns about credibility.

“Governments, industries, and consumers must recognize the risks inherent in critical mineral supply chains rooted in the Uyghur Region,” the report states.

As demand for these resources accelerates amid the global clean energy transition, the human rights costs buried deep in supply chains are rising to the surface — and so too are the calls for accountability.