Dear IPC Members:

The IPC GR team is working for you year-round, but the success of our work depends on the active engagement of IPC members like you.

One simple thing you can do to support our efforts is visit our online advocacy center; enter or update your contact details; and be prepared to participate in several grassroots campaigns coming up soon to influence Congress on our key issues. 

Meanwhile, one of the highlights of our week was offering input to a congressional hearing on the U.S. Department of Defense's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) and its impacts on the small business community. That news and more is summarized below.

And please send us a message if you have any input or questions on what governments should be doing to support the industry’s long-term growth and evolution. We’ll answer your most pressing questions in future editions of IPC Global Advocacy Report.

All the best,

Chris Mitchell
Vice President, Global Government Relations

TOP NEWS OF THE WEEK

IPC Calls for CMMC Fixes Ahead of Congressional Hearing: The U.S. House Small Business Committee held a hearing this week on the U.S. Defense Department's (DoD) Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), and IPC made the case that its costs and burdens could drive many small and medium-sized manufacturers out of the defense industrial base. Read the full statement on the hearing from IPC President and CEO John Mitchell. IPC Contact: Chris Mitchell.

White House Supports Bipartisan Infrastructure Agreement: U.S President Joe Biden on Thursday gave his support to a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure plan, a breakthrough after months of negotiations. The agreement, led by a bipartisan coalition of 10 senators, proposed “new spending on roads, bridges and other traditional infrastructure projects” and is set to be voted on when the U.S. Senate returns in July, Politico reports. IPC will delve into the details and update you as negotiations progress. IPC Contact: Chris Mitchell.

Critical Environmental Requirements for Electronics Conference: Join the world’s leading environmental regulatory experts next week on June 29 at IPC and ITI’s upcoming conference on critical environmental requirements for electronics. Stay updated on the latest environmental requirements, like Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), and more, that could impact your product’s design, manufacturing, supply chain management, and technology innovation. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

DEFENSE AND SECURITY

New EPA Rule to Require Reporting on PFAS: On June 10, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the pre-publication of a proposed rule requiring all manufacturers and importers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to report information about goods containing the chemical substance. PFAS has a history of use in electronics, and IPC plans to engage with the electronics industry to review the proposed rule and provide comments during the expected 60-day comment period. Please let us know if you have any questions and how this might affect your business. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

EPA’s PBT Rule Planned for September: According to the recently released Office and Management and Budget (OMB) regulatory agenda, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to publish its interim final rule on persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) chemicals this September. This move follows the EPA’s final risk-management rules for phenol, isopropylated, phosphate (3:1) (PIP (3:1)), one of the five PBT chemicals, which IPC and other industry groups submitted comments on. IPC will continue to engage with the EPA to advocate for realistic risk management strategies. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

OSHA Releases Emergency Standard on COVID-19: On June 10, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released regulatory language for the long-awaited Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for COVID-19. The rule – once published in the Federal Register -- will only apply to the healthcare industry and will not apply to manufacturing. In addition to the ETS, OSHA updated its guidance on preventing COVID in the workplace to provide recommendations on protecting unvaccinated workers. Your team should check this out, but the updated guidance is not a standard or regulation and creates no new legal obligations. Please let us know if you have any questions. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

IPC Provides Industry Input on Sustainable Products Initiative: IPC shared comments recently on the European Commission’s public consultation on its Sustainable Products Initiative, a key component of the European Union’s Circular Economy Action Plan. We believe that any sustainable product legislation should focus on final electronics products with the greatest environmental impacts and the greatest potential for circularity improvements. The initiative will revise and expand the Ecodesign Directive and will address the presence of harmful chemicals in electronics and ICT equipment, among other products. Read our full comments here. IPC Contact: Alison James.

IPC Submits Feedback on Revisions to REACH Regulation: On June 1, IPC submitted comments to the European Commission on proposed revisions to the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) law. IPC urged the commission to consider revisions in context of ongoing updates to chemical policies, such as the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive, and to consider existing materials declarations standards to ensure efficient supply chain communications. Please let us know if you have any further questions or comments. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.
 
Taiwan Moves to Delay Registration of Chemical Substances: On May 27, Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a draft amendment to its chemical legislation, Regulations of New and Existing Chemical Substances Registration, which would notably delay the registration deadlines for chemical registrations. The amended chemical legislation is expected to come into force by the end of 2021. See the full list of changes here; please let us know if you have any question. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

TRADE AND SUPPLY CHAIN

Electronics Included in Strategic Supply Chain Review: The Biden administration recently concluded its 100-day supply chain review, and IPC was pleased to see it address the importance of the U.S. electronics supply chain. After further study of the report, we have identified a half-dozen passages that acknowledge IPC’s input and the need to bolster the entire electronics supply chain, even if it was not the primary focus of this report. As a follow-up, representatives of IPC, Calumet Electronics, Jabil, and TTM met on June 16 with U.S. Commerce Department officials to further educate them on these issues, and we are encouraged that the administration is committed to further dialogue and policy action. See our full statement on the review here, and check out my recent interview on these issues with SupplyChainDive. IPC Contact: Chris Mitchell.

UPCOMING EVENTS

What are the Best Practices for Eco-design? Virtual, July 27. Join the International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI) for the final webinar in a three-part series on eco-design for a circular electronics economy. The series is your opportunity to learn from eco-design leaders about the best and most innovative practices used today. Register for the webinar here. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH US

Meet the IPC GR Team: Whether it’s engaging with policymakers in Washington, D.C., in the European Union or in China, the IPC Government Relations (GR) Team proactively seeks opportunities to educate, inform and influence policymakers on policies that spur innovation, growth and competition, while protecting human health and the environment. But our success depends on your support and engagement. Learn more and get involved in IPC advocacy today! IPC Contact: Chris Mitchell.

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