Who can join and why?

Associate Membership is open to any company in the downstream supply chain (post smelter level), including metal traders and exchanges, component manufacturers, product manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and retailers.

Through receiving regular alerts on risk, reports on success of mitigation and other information, Associate members are able to perform enhanced due diligence on supply chains, and by contributing a membership fee, also support the sustainable financing of ITSCI, sharing in the cost burden of due diligence through the supply chain. The information that ITSCI provides also enables downstream companies to accurately report on their due diligence efforts to the SEC or other regulations. See also Downstream funding the ‘middle path’ on due diligence costs

Our Associate Membership includes;

 

How to Apply

Downstream companies can join ITSCI without going through the extensive evaluation processes that are carried out for our upstream members. Please contact us via the contact page for more information. We will ask you to;

• Sign the membership agreement that describes confidentiality and other terms
• Provide a brief company description if wishing to be listed online
• Pay the annual fee of US$8,231 per year (pro-rata)

 

Who can join and why?

Full Membership is available to miners (artisanal co-operatives, small or large-scale), local traders or exporters from the country of mineral origin, international concentrate traders, mineral re-processors, smelters, refiners as well as any company associated with the upstream mineral trade such as mineral transport and mineral assay companies.

If committed to due diligence, and successful in being accepted as a Full Member, artisanal miners and mining companies are able to access international market at competitive prices, and benefit from improved working conditions and security. Exporters and traders maintain the ability to trade responsibly and in return have the opportunity to invest in region, and smelters can ensure access to a reliable supply of mineral. All companies are able to use information provided by ITSCI to assess how well their suppliers and partners are implementing due diligence and managing risks.

 

What is expected?

To be eligible for Full Membership, companies must commit to due diligence, hold all relevant, country-specific, legal documents such as an operating license or a certificate of company incorporation, and provide adequate background information on such as;

• Company history, size, detailed activities, affiliated companies, number of employees etc
• Company ownership, investors, management staff, their other or previous occupations etc
• Typical areas of operation, production levels, suppliers from high risk countries over the last three years etc
• Planned business activities, contracts, agreements, mineral sources etc
• Possible conflict, military or political links of the company, its owners, investors, staff members or its suppliers etc
• Comment on any previous reported conflict or due diligence issues
• Company policies and plans relating to conflict minerals, management and follow-up of due diligence etc

What is the process?

If you wish to make an application for Full Membership, please use our contact form to request further information from the Secretariat. It is helpful if, when making your enquiry, that you provide some basic information on what your company plans to do in relation to mineral trade, such as which mineral type and from which location.

On receipt of your enquiry we will provide a copy of the ITSCI Membership Agreement, which outlines how we will work together, as well as a more detailed application form to complete. Once we receive a signed Agreement your will become a Provisional member of ITSCI, however, please note that this does not allow you to trade or present yourself as an accepted Full Member. Once you have also paid the joining fee and supplied full documentation your information is evaluated by our Independent Evaluator, who may contact you for clarification on some points.

The Evaluator will make a recommendation to ITSCI to accept (or not accept) the application, and if finally approved, the Secretariat will publish the company summary and recommended actions and confirm membership once the relevant annual fee is paid.

How long does it take?

Please note that whilst we endeavour to be as prompt as possible with the process, due to the volume of applications received, the application period can vary. The evaluation time will be extended if there are delays by the applicant in providing documentation to the Secretariat or the Independent Evaluator.

Non-Acceptance

A company that is not accepted into ITSCI may re-apply after three months showing evidence that the issues that led to non-acceptance have been resolved.

What is the cost?

The current full membership fees are;

• Annual fee of US$5,487 (for Full Members) or US$1,975 (for Full Members in high risk areas) – charged pro-rata
• Joining fee of an amount equivalent to the annual fee

ITSCI is funded mainly by levy fees collected according to the metal content and tonnage of mineral traded. As ITSCI is not operated to make profit, the levy rates are set to cover costs, and currently vary according to local costs and tonnages. We can advise you on this during your application. The levy is collected at only one point in the supply chain, typically the international trader, and your commercial contracts should account for appropriate sharing of the cost along the supply chain.

ITSCI membership agreement summary English – French