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thyssenkrupp Rasselstein focuses on sustainable supply chains of tin

Tinning,chromium plating

On January 1, 2021, new obligations have entered into force in the European Union in Regulation (EU) 2017/821, which governs trade in four minerals – tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold. The Regulation aims at preventing the trade of these minerals from supporting armed conflicts and forced labor. Companies importing these raw materials into the EU are now subject to extensive due diligence and auditing obligations along the supply chain.

As one of Germany’s biggest tin importers, we welcome the EU’s decision as the procurement of raw materials must not lead to promoting conflicts and violating human rights. We are committed to responsible mining and processing of tin in compliance with ethical principles. A transparent and trustworthy supply chain will assist us in achieving these objectives.

Tin is needed to protect packaging steel from corrosion and is therefore a necessary raw material to ensure the high quality of products such as the food can. The tin coating on packaging steel is extremely low; it usually ranges between 1.0 g/m² and 11.2 g/m². We ensure the sustainability of our supply chain – and not only since today – to ascertain that the required quality is not achieved at the expense of humans and the environment. We have not sourced tin from conflict regions for more than a decade now. Human rights, fair working conditions, environmental protection and the fight against corruption – all these values are not only important within our group, but they also apply to our supply chain. At thyssenkrupp, we are therefore committed to the United Nations Global Compact. Our company has had procedures in place for years that allow us to audit supply chains and to identify risks. Our supply chains are transparent and subject to regular audits, so that we fully comply with statutory provisions.

In addition, thyssenkrupp Rasselstein GmbH has been complying with the regulations of the United States of America, usually referred to as the Dodd-Frank Act1 , since 2010, although we are not subject to SEC supervision and have no legal obligation to comply with these requirements on conflict minerals.

In countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and neighboring states, the mining of certain raw materials is sometimes fueling significant human rights violations and the financing of violent conflicts in the region. We therefore do not purchase any raw materials that directly or indirectly finance or benefit armed groups. We are in close contact with our suppliers at all times to increase transparency regarding the supply of their products. We will continue to expand our collaboration with customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders to ensure even better approaches and more feasible solutions in the future. Usually, we check the conditions on site or we commission third parties to regularly monitor the situation at our suppliers.

For further information, please refer to our Annual Report 2023 – Activities to implement the due diligence obligations for the import of tin according to Regulation (EU) 2017/821.

1 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, Section 1502

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thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG

Kaiser-Wilhelm-Strasse 100

47166 Duisburg, Germany

+49 (0)203 52-0

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