Approximately 2,000 to 5,000 metric tons of undeclared uranium has been mined in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and exported to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), raising concerns about the proliferation of nuclear weapons, according to a new study. Uranium occurs naturally alongside cobalt ore. It is refined into cobalt metal, which is a critical material facing increasing demand for products supporting the transition away from fossil fuels, such as batteries. The naturally occurring uranium has been exported in large quantities alongside the cobalt ore for refining in China, but the uranium, which is enough to build as…