Apple purchased gold from supplier linked to illegal mining in Brazil

U.S. tech companies including Apple have reportedly been buying gold from suppliers that got it from illicit mining operations in Brazil.

The mining operations allegedly took place on Brazilian indigenous lands in the Amazon rainforest, which is prohibited in Brazil. Resource extraction is banned because it leads to deforestation and contaminates rivers with mercury.

The companies involved, including Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, reportedly purchased the gold in 2020 and 2021 from several refiners, including Chimet and Marsam. Both refiners are under investigation in Brazil for illegal sourcing and production.

The gold mined from the illegal sites were utilized for smartphone and computer production by both Apple and Microsoft, according to Reporter Brasil, first spotted by 9to5Mac. Additionally, some of the gold had been utilized in the production of servers for both Google and Amazon.

The original report notes that in addition to pollution and deforestation, the illegal operations also result in increased organized crime. Armed attacks on indigenous people have risen significantly in recent years. An estimated 28% of gold extracted in Brazil is done so illegally.

When approached for comment, Apple first pointed the publication to its environmental statement. It later sent a note stating that they no longer purchase gold from Marsam.

It is unclear what Apple's current relationship with Chimet is. Also not clear is if Amazon, Google, or Microsoft did anything as it pertains to the suppliers after being informed of the source of the gold.

In recent years, Apple has come under fire for supplier behavior in its supply chain. In 2021, Apple was in hot water when a report exposed potential ties between Apple suppliers and forced labor programs suspected of being part of an alleged Chinese genocide against Uyghurs.

In 2020, the Cupertino tech company severed ties with iPhone camera module supplier O-film after learning the company had been using forced labor.

14 Comments

rob53 3307 comments · 13 Years

About 2 years ago

And does anyone think any other corporation hasn’t bought things from illegal companies? That’s the way companies and governments work (behind the scenes).

wood1208 2932 comments · 10 Years

Biggest problem with America is they screw themselves in the name of whatever(fairness, human abuse, child labor, illegal mining, world policing, helping world, etc). And Chinese don't give a damn to anything so they can easily compete with American companies at lower cost and take away share brick by brick. Chinese employ hacking, stealing, abusing and do whatever it takes to win.
So, Americans please stop screwing your own people, your corporations and your future.

Anilu_777 577 comments · 8 Years

wood1208 said:

Biggest problem with America is they screw themselves in the name of whatever(fairness, human abuse, child labor, illegal mining, world policing, helping world, etc). And Chinese don't give a damn to anything so they can easily compete with American companies at lower cost and take away share brick by brick. Chinese employ hacking, stealing, abusing and do whatever it takes to win.
So, Americans please stop screwing your own people, your corporations and your future.

The Chinese and anyone else must pay serious penalties for abuse of labourers in their supply chains. It’s a good thing that at least some American companies care.

chadbag 2026 comments · 13 Years

wood1208 said:

Biggest problem with America is they screw themselves in the name of whatever(fairness, human abuse, child labor, illegal mining, world policing, helping world, etc). And Chinese don't give a damn to anything so they can easily compete with American companies at lower cost and take away share brick by brick. Chinese employ hacking, stealing, abusing and do whatever it takes to win.
So, Americans please stop screwing your own people, your corporations and your future.

I can’t believe you are actually advocating this. The solution is to stop doing business with and enabling this sort of behavior from China and anyone else, not to lower you standards to theirs.

davidw 2112 comments · 17 Years

wood1208 said:

Biggest problem with America is they screw themselves in the name of whatever(fairness, human abuse, child labor, illegal mining, world policing, helping world, etc). And Chinese don't give a damn to anything so they can easily compete with American companies at lower cost and take away share brick by brick. Chinese employ hacking, stealing, abusing and do whatever it takes to win.
So, Americans please stop screwing your own people, your corporations and your future.

It's just not "America".

The last I checked, Italy have never been a part of "America", even though Columbus "discovered" it in 1492.

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/illegal-brazil-gold-tied-italian-refiner-big-tech-customers-documents-2022-07-25/

>Brazilian police allege an Italian refiner purchased gold from a trader sourcing it illegally in the Amazon rainforest region, according to police documents, and corporate disclosures show that refiner has supplied the precious metal to four of the world's largest tech companies.<

And "America" declared their independence from Britain in 1776.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-latin-america-60236777

>The UK is the third biggest buyer of Brazilian gold, and public prosecutors have alleged that 30% of Brazil’s exports may be illegally mined.<

And it has only been several weeks ago, that Switzerland pledged not to purchase (any more) illegal gold from Brazil, even though it has been known for years that 30% of gold from Brazil are illegally mined.

https://earth5r.org/swiss-pledge-to-stop-illegal-gold-imports-from-brazil-indigenous-reserves/

>Switzerland imported 24.5 tonnes of gold in 2021, at least a fifth of which came from Brazilian Amazon states. Evidence indicates most of it is mined illegally on Indigenous lands. Illicit mining operations have resulted in major Amazon deforestation, widespread mercury poisoning and soaring violence.<

And since Canada, the largest importer of Brazilian gold, can be considered part of "America", as in North America, I won't hold that against you because of a technicality.