Responsible Minerals

The United States passed the “Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act” in 2010. Section 1502 of the Act requires the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to enact legislation on “conflict minerals” to disclose whether the minerals used in production are sourced from mining regions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and adjoining countries that employ forced labor and inhumane treatment of workers. The Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) found that rebel groups in these areas use forced labor, child labor, and other illegal methods to extract tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold, selling them in exchange for weapons and causing regional instability; internationally, these four mineral types obtained through illicit operations are defined as conflict minerals. In 2017, the EU Commission issued Regulation (EU) 2017/82, which identifies Conflict Affected and High-Risk Areas (CAHRAs). The list covers 208 areas across 27 countries/regions and requires due diligence for minerals produced by high-risk suppliers, including tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold (3TG).

To satisfy performance demands, electronic products employ a range of functional metal materials. Among these, tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold—commonly referred to as 3TG—serve as critical raw materials extensively used in manufacturing resistors and capacitors, central processing units (CPUs), hard disk drives (HDDs), memory modules, motherboards, and connectors.

Global Responsible Minerals Survey

A supply chain smelter survey was conducted based on the five principles of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance:

Global Supplier Smelters

• Tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold: ASUS participates in quarterly working meetings of the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) certified smelter program to stay updated on the latest developments and provide suppliers with guidance on qualified sourcing. We assist suppliers in investigating and remediating non-conformances by adopting the RMI Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP) certified smelter program, ensuring that minerals—from the mine of origin through the smelting stage—comply with human rights protections and environmental standards, thereby implementing responsible sourcing. Since 2013, ASUS has advanced responsible sourcing; that year, only 22% of tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold were procured from qualified smelters. By 2018, we had fully achieved the goal of sourcing 100% of these four metals from qualified smelters and have maintained this standard to date.
• Cobalt: According to the European Union’s Critical Raw Materials Resilience Study, one-third of global cobalt production originates from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its neighboring countries, where illicit operations pose similar risks. In 2019, the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) designated cobalt as the fifth category of monitored minerals. As a critical material for battery manufacturing, ASUS has included cobalt in its responsible minerals procurement management program, conducting annual due diligence. Through on-site audit mechanisms, we assess suppliers’ progress in transitioning cobalt sourcing to certified smelters and provide necessary support resources. Compared to 2019, the proportion of suppliers using certified cobalt smelters has increased from 29% to 85%.
• Mica: Through stakeholder engagements, ASUS has learned that mica mining in certain countries involves low-wage, child-labor practices, raising concerns among human-rights organizations. Mica is a key ingredient in coatings and is widely used for the exterior finishes of electronic products. Given the supply-chain risks associated with mica extraction, since 2023 ASUS has included mica within its responsible-minerals due-diligence scope, inventorying the current status of key suppliers to inform the setting of qualified-mica procurement targets.

ASUS upholds its commitment to human rights and environmental stewardship by strictly avoiding the use of conflict minerals sourced from illegal mining operations. Through its Responsible Minerals Procurement Policy, ASUS enforces supplier management, integrates responsible-minerals metrics into its Quarterly Business Review (QBR), and promotes sourcing from certified smelters to mitigate risks of labor exploitation, armed conflict, child labor abuse, and ecological damage .Simultaneously, ASUS conducted an inventory of recycled-metal usage within its supply chain; in 2024, recycled metals accounted for 6.6% of total metal usage, serving as the basis for setting medium- and long-term recycled-mineral targets.

Product Responsible Minerals Analysis

Through Full Material Disclosure (FMD), ASUS maps the distribution and usage volumes of critical metals—tantalum, tin, tungsten, gold, and cobalt—within its products, forming the basis for responsible minerals management and circular-resources inventory. In 2024, covering major product shipments (notebooks, desktops, monitors, and all-in-ones including AIO, NUC, and Mini PC), total consumption of these five metals amounted to approximately 154.1 metric tons. By precisely tracking material flows and content, ASUS not only strengthens upstream supply chain management but also lays the groundwork for driving material recycling and reducing usage at the design stage, thereby embedding circular-economy principles and reducing resource consumption and environmental impact.

Metal distribution and usage are detailed in the table below: