Federal policy on conflict minerals continues to move in the right direction, due in part to the persistent educational and advocacy efforts of organizations like IPC.
While IPC members share the widely held concerns about reports of mining-related human rights violations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), we believe that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) rules have been ineffective in addressing these concerns and have had unintended negative effects.
IPC appreciates the April 7 statement by SEC Acting Chairman Mike Piwowar that the agency is suspending enforcement of the costliest requirements of its conflict minerals rule. The acting chairman’s statement refers specifically to IPC’s advocacy on this issue.
IPC encourages the SEC and Congress to keep moving in the direction of reducing this rule’s burdens on U.S. manufacturing industries and the people of the DRC.
IPC (www.IPC.org) is a global industry association based in Bannockburn, Ill., dedicated to the competitive excellence and financial success of its 4,000 member companies which represent all facets of the electronics industry, including design, printed board manufacturing, electronics assembly and test. As a member-driven organization and leading source for industry standards, training, market research and public policy advocacy, IPC supports programs to meet the needs of an estimated $2 trillion global electronics industry. IPC maintains additional offices in Taos, N.M.; Washington, D.C.; Atlanta, Ga.; Brussels, Belgium; Stockholm, Sweden; Moscow, Russia; Bangalore and New Delhi, India; Bangkok, Thailand; and Qingdao, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Suzhou and Beijing, China.