Cabot International response to its illegal operations in DR.Congo

Cabot is aware of the United Nations' Security Council Document (S/2001/357) "Final Report of the Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo". The report includes a description of certain activities associated with the illegal or unlawful taking of minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including columbo-tantalite (coltan).

Since this report was issued in 2002, Cabot has rigorously communicated to its employees, customers and investors that it does not purchase or mine tantalum or coltan from the DRC. Cabot's supply of ore comes exclusively from our own mine in Manitoba, Canada, a Talison Minerals owned mine in Wodgina, Australia and a Noventa owned mine in Mozambique.

Cabot is a leading world producer of tantalum and niobium products as well as other chemicals. We are committed to ensuring the safety, health and protection of people and the environment around the world. As responsible global citizens, we are continually striving to meet or exceed governmental and environmental standards worldwide.

Therefore, our position on the purchase, sale or mining of tantalum or coltan in the Democratic Republic of Congo is:

• We do not and will not mine any material containing Tantalum, including coltan in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• We do not and will not knowingly purchase any material containing Tantalum, including coltan, which was mined in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park and the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the Congo.
• We reject any new offer of ore if there is any possibility that the source is the DRC. We have instructed the personnel in our organization responsible for acquiring raw materials not to acquire any material containing tantalum, including coltan, that they have reason to believe was mined in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park and the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the Congo, and not to sell any such material. We employ several controls to ensure that we do not purchase ore from the DRC, including the requirement of a government issued certificate of origin to ensure the ore we purchase is not sourced from the DRC.
• We do not acquire any material containing tantalum from the following countries:

• • Republic of Congo
  • Democratic Republic of Congo
  • Republic of Zambia
  • Republic of Burundi
  • Republic of Rwanda

Cabot will not knowingly purchase any tantalum supplies from any unlawful source where wildlife or the environment is threatened in any part of the world.

Cabot fully supports efforts by relevant authorities to enforce initiatives that protect the environment and endangered species and we deplore all unlawful and immoral activities surrounding the use and production of coltan mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

(August 2008)