Dear IPC Members:

January has resulted in some positive outcomes for the electronics manufacturing industry, leaving us intrigued about the year to come.

Between a recent "Buy American” Executive Order from President Biden and the newly-established Defense Electronics Consortium, we’re off to an interesting start in terms of seeing more policy debates that affect our industry. More details are below.

Meanwhile, we’re keeping an eye on a wide range of issues, including many new environmental health and safety regulations; strengthened EU trade dispute powers; and more. Below are the latest highlights of our current work for you, boiled down to less than 30 seconds each and five minutes overall. As always, we welcome your questions and suggestions.

All the best,

Chris Mitchell
Vice President, Global Government Relations

TOP NEWS OF THE WEEK

IPC Welcomes “Buy American” Executive Order: On January 25, U.S. President Joe Biden signed the “Buy American” Executive Order (EO) aimed at rebuilding domestic manufacturing capabilities in the U.S. The EO is just one milestone on the road to a more robust U.S. manufacturing future, and IPC encourages the Biden administration to go further in developing an ambitious U.S. manufacturing strategy that builds capabilities domestically and strengthens ties to allies and trading partners. IPC Contact: Chris Mitchell.

DoD Establishes New Defense Electronics Consortium: The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) recently awarded $3.9 million to the U.S. Partnership for Assured Electronics (USPAE) to establish and manage a new Defense Electronics Consortium (DEC). USPAE is an independent subsidiary of IPC focused on meeting the needs of U.S. defense- and security-oriented customers, and the DEC is a vehicle through which industry and academia will work with DoD to solve the government’s electronics-related challenges. The DEC’s first project will be an effort to accelerate the adoption of lead-free electronics in defense systems, a move IPC has long called for. Learn more and explore the opportunities at www.USPAE.org, and follow them on LinkedIn.

Last Week on U.S. Chemical Data Reporting: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) period runs through today Friday, January 29. The CDR rule requires manufacturers and importers of certain chemical substances listed under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Substance Inventory to report data to the EPA every four years. There are several new reporting requirements you should be aware of. Let us know if you have any questions or comments as your company finishes this process. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

New Rules on PBTs Take Effect Next Week: Next week, on February 5, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final risk management rules to reduce exposure to persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals (PBTs) will go into effect. Some of the PBTs listed have a history of use in the electronics industry. If these new rules will affect the electronics products that you manufacture, please let us know, and read this new IPC blog for more information. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

IPC’s January 2021 Economic Report: If all goes according to plan, 2021 will be a year of recovery. The United States economy should add back over 6 million jobs, while manufacturing sentiment has reached multi-year highs in both the U.S. and Europe. IPC Chief Economist Shawn DuBravac provides the latest data in IPC’s January Economic Outlook Report, with information on U.S. and European economic growth, employment, manufacturer’s sentiment, and end markets for electronics. Please let us know if you have questions or feedback. IPC Contact: Shawn DuBravac.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Electronic systems and devices are at the heart of today’s defense and security systems, and DoD is wise to create a mechanism for having visibility into – and relationships across — the entire electronics manufacturing ecosystem.”
— IPC President and CEO John Mitchell on the formation of the new Defense Electronics Consortium.

IPC ADVOCACY AND YOU

“We shepherd the standards process to build electronics better.” IPC President and CEO John Mitchell recently joined the Internet Advisor podcast and discussed the broad challenges facing the electronics industry. John comes in fully at the 8:50 mark. Give it a listen!

ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH AND SAFETY

Heads Up — Potential OSHA Emergency Standard on COVID-19: U.S. President Joe Biden on January 21 issued an Executive Order that aims to improve worker health and safety protections during the coronavirus pandemic. It is too early to know what specifics will flow from this action, but new regulatory requirements could arrive as soon as March 15. Here is what we know so far in this IPC blog; IPC will update you as this situation evolves. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

IPC to Develop Standard on Green Cleaners for Electronics Manufacturing: IPC needs your green expertise in developing IPC-1402, a new IPC standard establishing green chemistry requirements for cleaners used in electronics manufacturing. We invite you to get involved. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Green Initiatives for Cleaners task group, please contact Kelly Scanlon and learn more on the IPC blog here.

U.S. EPA Evaluating Risk for Over 30 Toxic Chemicals: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is wading ever deeper into regulatory actions under the Toxic Substances Control Act, with major ramifications for electronics manufacturers who need to focus on this issue. Now is the time for our industry to advocate our views on how the EPA should address any unreasonable risks to human health and the environment. Check out an updated IPC blog for the latest information. If you have insight that is relevant to these proceedings, we need to hear from you. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

If Your Company Makes or Import Chemicals, You Could Face New Fees: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed "Fees Rule" under the Toxic Substances Control Act could have financial impacts on your company. Comments are due by February 25. IPC has been advocating for commonsense reforms to the 2018 rule, and we are pleased that the new proposed rule appears to make important and positive changes. Check out an updated IPC blog for all you need to know about the Fees Rules, and let us know if you have any questions. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.
 
Want to Inform New Workplace Limits on Lead? The European Commission is conducting an industry survey to analyze the health, socioeconomic, and environmental impacts of new occupational exposure limits for lead (Pb) and its compounds. Information collected, such as current exposure levels, risk management measures in place, costs associated with engineering controls, and cost-benefit data, will enable the commission to establish practicable, protective limits. IPC encourages those working with Pb to respond to the survey by the February 26 deadline. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

Help IPC Review EU RoHS Directive: IPC is currently watching and engaging in the European Commission’s review of its Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive in electrical and electronic equipment, and we need your help. IPC welcomes electronics experts who are familiar with RoHS issues to lend their expertise to the exemption renewal process. Please contact Kelly Scanlon if you would like to join one of several working groups addressing Annex III exemptions. Read more about IPC’s review of the EU’s RoHS Directive here.

Does Your Company Produce, Import, or Supply Products to the EU? We are more than three weeks into the new Substances of Concern in Products database requirements, and we welcome your feedback on its usability. As a reminder, this obligation applies to all companies placing articles containing substances of very high concern on the European Union market. Check out this IPC SCIP Database resource page for more information, and let us know if you have any questions. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

ECHA Calls for Evidence on Chemical Common to Plastics and Resins: The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has requested comments and evidence regarding a possible restriction on Bisphenol A (BPA) and structurally related bisphenols of similar concern for the environment. The deadline for providing input is February 15, 2021. Is BPA essential to your electronics-related processes? Do you have any data or information to submit to ECHA? Please us know. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

EUROPEAN UNION

Commission Launches Grant Program to Assist SMEs: The European Commission recently launched the Ideas Powered for Business SME Fund, a €20 million grant program “created to help European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) access their intellectual property (IP) rights.” The fund offers financial support in form of reimbursements for IP scan services and trademark and design applications. The scheme is the first key step of the commission's IP Action Plan published in November 2020. See if your business is eligible here. IPC Contact: Alison James.    

TRADE AND SUPPLY CHAIN

Parliament Strengthens EU Trade Dispute Powers: The European Union will have stronger trade enforcement powers due to new rules allowing it to retaliate when a trade dispute is blocked under the World Trade Organization. The rules will allow the EU to “use counter-measures against those violating trade rules while blocking dispute settlements,” and will cover disputes on goods, services, and intellectual property rights. The European Commission is also expected to propose an anti-coercion instrument by the end of 2021. IPC Contact: Alison James.

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