The father is the one who is contracted and then is forced to put his children to work to pay off the debt . . . Until recently, authorities denied the entire situation. When labor inspectors came to visit a site, they were given a party and the workers were hidden. Although charcoal is not exported, some may be sold to iron smelters which produce for the export market. It is difficult to identify the employer of the subcontracted charcoal laborers in order to establish the link to exported iron.
Further research is needed.
The United States currently imports iron filings, ore, and pellets from Brazil. The basic minimum age for work in Brazil, as established in the Article 227 of the 1988 Constitution, is 14. 20 Exceptions to this law apply to children, at the minimum age of 12, who work within the context of regulated apprenticeships, and for those who are authorized by a judge to work. The Ministry of Labor is responsible for enforcing the child labor laws. The IPEC report concludes that there is a shortage of labor inspectors and too few inspections.