China builds own supply chain standards after barring RBA
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China has barred its organizations from cooperating with the Responsible Business Alliance, a global corporate social responsibility initiative with over 600 member companies. The move follows U.S. and European forced labor rules targeting Xinjiang. Beijing is now promoting its own supply chain standards abroad.
Key Facts
- China's Ministry of Commerce barred Chinese organizations and individuals from doing business or cooperating with the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA).
- The RBA has over 600 member companies employing more than 21.5 million workers.
- As of January 31, 2026, 71 of 196 (36.2%) cobalt, tantalum, tin, and tungsten smelters and refiners in the RMAP were located in mainland China.
- The RBA's Responsible Minerals Initiative runs the Responsible Minerals Assurance Process, the only supply chain due diligence scheme formally recognized by the EU under its Conflict Minerals Regulation.
RBA Sanctions
China's Ministry of Commerce accused the Responsible Business Alliance of assisting U.S. sanctions against China over alleged forced labor in Xinjiang. The ministry barred Chinese organizations and individuals from doing business or cooperating with the RBA. The RBA is one of the world's largest corporate social responsibility initiatives, with over 600 member companies employing more than 21.5 million workers. Its Responsible Minerals Initiative runs the Responsible Minerals Assurance Process, the only supply chain due diligence scheme formally recognized by the EU under its Conflict Minerals Regulation.
China's Standards Shift
Beijing is building its own corporate responsibility and supply chain standards, limiting how some Western audit and standards systems operate in China, and promoting China-led standards abroad. At a 2025 OECD forum in Paris, Jiang Hui, chairman of the China Chamber of Commerce of Metals, Minerals & Chemicals Importers and Exporters, said some Chinese companies would not allow foreign organizations to audit them because of information security concerns. The significance of the RBA sanctions goes beyond corporate compliance, marking a broader shift from rule-taker to rule-maker in global supply chains.
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China builds own supply chain standards after barring RBA
