Dear IPC Members:

I hope everyone had a safe and restful Labor Day Weekend. Shana Tovah to those of you who celebrate Rosh Hashanah.

It’s shaping up to be a busy month here in Washington, D.C. In the U.S. Congress, September deadlines are piling up, with infrastructure, budget and appropriations bills all yet to be finalized. As Congress’s science and technology leaders continue to work on a tech R&D bill, we are working to ensure the electronics industry’s needs are accounted for. See Top of the Week below.

Meanwhile, if you have yet to participate, there is still time to share your input with decision-makers on timely issues like the Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) petition process and more. We want to hear from you!

As always, please let us know about your top concerns and questions for IPC advocacy as we enter the fall months. We are here to advocate for you; let us know if we can make your jobs easier.

Chris Mitchell
Vice President, Global Government Relations

TOP NEWS OF THE WEEK

Help IPC Advocate for Electronics Inclusion in U.S. Tech R&D Bill: IPC is calling on the U.S. Congress to make improvements to a bill that would boost investment in federal research and development (R&D) in 10 high-tech fields and address long-standing supply chain challenges. IPC supports the U.S. Innovation and Competitiveness Act (USICA), which includes the Endless Frontier Act (EFA), but we think the bill should more explicitly support R&D in electronics manufacturing and position the United States to build more of what it designs. If you agree, please click here to contact key legislators and urge them to include these critically important provisions in the bill. You can read more about the campaign in a new IPC blog and help IPC spread the word to your followers on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. It only takes a few minutes and could make a huge difference for our industry. IPC Contact: Ken Schramko.

PIP (3:1) Compliance Deadline Extended to March 2022: After considering IPC’s comments and other stakeholder feedback, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an extension of compliance deadlines on the final risk-management rules for phenol, isopropylated, phosphate (3:1) – PIP (3:1) – a chemical substance used as a flame retardant and plasticizer in electronics. The new compliance deadline is March 8, 2022, but the EPA also intends to issue a new notice of proposed rulemaking, which could extend the deadline beyond 2022. Please read this updated IPC blog for more information, and let us know if you have any questions. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

IPC is Crowdsourcing for Artwork and Illustrations of Electronics Manufacturing: IPC Members: You can help IPC help you by letting us know of any existing or potential sources of original artwork related to electronics manufacturing. The purpose of this effort is to improve IPC’s ability to explain electronics manufacturing to non-technical audiences such as government officials, reporters, teachers, and students. We would welcome any input from our community; let’s leverage the power of the IPC network to meet this need! Please let us know if you have any questions. IPC Contact: Sandy Gentry.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"We need to distinguish between justified criticisms of the Chinese government … and a Cold War mentality that uses China as a scapegoat for our own domestic problems”
– U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) cautions against heightened restrictions on U.S.-China trade amid a rise in “anti-China” sentiment in the U.S. Congress. Politico reports that big business groups are working with progressive groups and members of Congress like Omar to fend off anti-China proposals. 

DEFENSE & SECURITY

House Committee Approves $24 Billion Increase to NDAA: On September 1, the U.S. House Armed Services Committee approved a $24 billion boost to military spending in the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The vote signaled a strong bipartisan desire for a larger Pentagon budget, Politico reports. The Senate Armed Services Committee also approved a large increase with bipartisan support. IPC will continue to advocate for provisions bolstering industrial base resiliency. IPC Contact: Chris Mitchell.

DoD Creates Supply Chain Working Group, Boosts Public Private Partnerships: On August 30, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) established a new supply chain resiliency working group to address threats and vulnerabilities to the U.S. supply chain, which were raised in the Biden administration’s supply chain review. We are encouraged by DoD efforts to better understand, and the need to strengthen, its supply chains. Meanwhile, attendees at a recent U.S. Partnership for Assured Electronics (USPAE) meeting confirmed that the U.S. government, the electronics industry, and academia must continue their collaborative efforts to address risks and gaps in the defense electronics supply chain. IPC Contact: Chris Mitchell.

ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH

Do the EPA’s CDR Regulations Affect You? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently opened the comment period on a petition process applicable to the Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) regulations. The petition process allows affected stakeholders to submit requests for full exemptions of byproduct substances that are recycled and partial exemptions of chemicals that are determined to be of “low current interest” by the EPA. 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. The public comment period is open until December 21. Please let us know if the petition process is applicable to you. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

Electronics Companies Commit to Improving Chemical Management Practices: The Clean Electronics Production Network announced a new program recently to improve chemical management practices and eliminate workers’ exposure to hazardous chemicals across the global electronics manufacturing industry. The commitment, called the “Toward Zero Exposure” program, will allow companies to highlight their efforts to eliminate or substitute priority chemicals with safer alternatives. Learn more about the program, its participants, and how you can get involved here. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

China Proposes Adding New Substances to Chemical Inventory: On August 18, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) announced an additional 15 chemical substances would be added to the Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances in China (IECSC). As a reminder, if the substance is not listed in the IECSC, your business must complete new substance registration before manufacturing or importing said chemicals. Chemicals that are not included in the IECSC are considered new chemicals and are managed under MEE Order 12. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

EUROPEAN UNION

Busy Agenda Ahead for the Slovenian EU Presidency: Addressing the European Commission’s proposal on Sustainable Corporate Governance (SCG), expected on October 27, will be one of the top priorities of Slovenia’s presidency of the Council of the European, which began on July 1. Slovenia will also prioritize negotiations on a new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which IPC wrote about here, and will address the implementation of the renewed EU Industrial Strategy, including strengthening the EU’s strategic autonomy. The presidency’s responsibilities include steering the council’s political agenda and helping achieve compromises among EU institutions and EU Member States. IPC Contact: Alison James.

TAX, TRADE, AND SUPPLY CHAIN

U.S. and EU Trade and Technology Council to Meet this Month: The U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC), first announced at a joint summit in June, is set to be launched at a meeting in Pittsburgh on September 29. The council will address bilateral trade and economic relations and will aim to coordinate approaches on issues like global trade, supply chain concerns, and technology. IPC welcomes efforts to rekindle the U.S-EU partnership and continues to engage with policymakers to ensure that the electronics value chain is recognized as central to economies on both sides of the Atlantic. IPC Contact: Alison James.

Business Groups Search for Allies Amid Anti-China Push: Big business and progressive groups are finding common cause on U.S.-China trade issues, Politico reports. With increasing “anti-China” sentiment in the U.S. Congress and in the Biden administration, there is apprehension in business circles that commerce and cooperation will be negatively affected. IPC supports bilateral engagement with China and remains concerned about the negative impacts on our members from tariff battles among the world’s leading trade powers. IPC Contact: Chris Mitchell.

IPC’s Latest Economic Trends Report: The economic recovery is continuing along a bumpy path as we approach fall. Although global demand remains strong, we are starting to see some early signs that it may be slowing. COVID, of course, remains a key concern. Surging cases numbers in the United States have dampened expectations, which in turn could hinder the recovery. Check out the latest global economic data in IPC Chief Economist Shawn DuBravac’s Monthly Economic Outlook Report, and let us know if you have any questions. IPC Contact: Shawn DuBravac.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Global Electronics Summit: Virtual, September 21–23. Join Chemical Watch and IPC’s Kelly Scanlon as she covers the EU’s sustainable products initiative on Day 2 of the conference. Additional key topics include REACH restrictions on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), ECHA’s Substance of Concern in Products (SCIP) database, Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), and other U.S. regulations, flame retardants, and more. IPC members are eligible for a 20% registration discount; register here. Contact Kelly Scanlon for a discount code.

HELP US SPREAD THE WORD ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Can we take five minutes of your time? We need your input on the current state of the global electronics manufacturing industry. Perk – you get a copy of the research results when the survey is completed.		The Department of Defense (DoD) has formed a new task force to shore up the U.S. domestic supply chain.

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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