IPC Global Advocacy Report
8/13/2021

Dear IPC Members:

From all of us here at IPC, we hope you are continuing to stay safe and healthy as COVID-19 concerns continue.

Here in Washington D.C., we are in the “dog days” of summer, and the U.S. Congress just adjourned for its August recess, but not before the U.S. Senate passed a major bipartisan infrastructure package, which would positively affect our industry. On another front, stay tuned for an upcoming opportunity to help IPC advocate for the inclusion of “electronics manufacturing” in a tech R&D and competitiveness bill.

Although the global environment and health front is a bit quieter this week, this gives you an opportunity to get involved with ongoing industry advocacy on timely issues like EU sustainability criteria and chemical management practices. We need your help!

And please send us a message if you have an opinion on what you think governments should be doing to support our industry’s long-term growth and evolution. As we enter the third quarter of the year, we want to do so with momentum.

All the best,

Chris Mitchell
Vice President, Global Government Relations


TOP NEWS OF THE WEEK

IPC Welcomes U.S. Senate Passage of Infrastructure Bill: The Senate approved a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill earlier this week, and electronics manufacturers have fresh reasons to be optimistic. IPC welcomes the prospect of historic investments in America’s roads, ports, electric grids, and digital networks, in part because America’s infrastructure depends on reliable electronics. This bipartisan bill will help drive growth in the overall economic recovery, including the electronics industry. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns. IPC Contact: Ken Schramko.
 
IPC Urges Congress to Include Electronics in U.S. Tech R&D Bill: IPC sent a letter recently to the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation (CST) Committee, affirming the importance of explicitly stating support for electronics manufacturing in pending tech and competitiveness legislation. IPC supports the U.S. Innovation and Competitiveness Act (USICA), which includes the Endless Frontier Act, as it boosts investment in federal research and development (R&D) in 10 high-tech fields. 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 keep an eye out for an upcoming opportunity to call upon your elected officials to include these critically important provisions to the bill. IPC Contact: Ken Schramko.

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Prices are set to remain high through the remainder of the year and will likely remain elevated through the first half of next year. And that’s when the landing comes in. Will we have an elegant Superman landing, or a Greatest American Hero sand-in-your-teeth landing?”
- IPC Chief Economist Shawn DuBravac shared his thoughts on the current state of inflation and what we should expect in the near future in a recent article in I-Connect007.

 

DEFENSE AND SECURITY

House Task Force Urges DoD to Address Supply Chain Concerns: A bipartisan group of lawmakers recently urged the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to address threats to the defense supply chain in the upcoming annual defense policy bill. As Defense News reported, the U.S. House Armed Services Committee task force report outlined recommendations for the DoD to better understand its supply chain and the potential for shortages, specifically regarding semiconductors, rare earth elements, and microelectronics. Let us know if you have any questions or comments. IPC Contact: Chris Mitchell.

 

ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH

Companies Commit to Improving Chemical Management Practices: The Clean Electronics Production Network announced a new program last week 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.

Share Your Experience with Extended Reliability Assessments: iNEMI has formed a team to better enable circular economy principles, and electronics manufacturers are encouraged to join. The team will examine extended reliability assessments for electronic components and will develop a methodology for part selection and stress testing. If you are interested in joining the team, you can sign up here. Registration closes in early September, and the project is set to begin soon thereafter. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

OSHA Requests Input from Mechanical Power Press Users: On July 28, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a Request for Information from companies using mechanical power presses in the shaping, cutting, and bending of metal sheets. OSHA is considering updating the 50-year-old mechanical power presses standard and is seeking input in areas such as the types of presses that should be covered. The comment period is open until October 26; let us know if you have any questions. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

 

EUROPEAN UNION

Your Chance to Provide Feedback on EU Sustainability Criteria: On August 3, a European Commission working group released a draft report proposing criteria that manufacturing of electric and electronic equipment (EEE) be considered as “durable” and “circular” under the EU Taxonomy regulation. The EU Taxonomy, which is a classification system for sustainable economic activities, aims to provide guidance to direct investments towards sustainable activities and help reach the objectives of climate and energy targets like the European Green Deal. It also introduces reporting obligations for companies falling under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which IPC wrote about here. While the draft report does not constitute an official document, it can serve as an indicator of what the criteria for EEE manufacturing and other activities may look like once officially adopted by the commission in early 2022. The public consultation is open through September 24. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

EC Issues First Recovery Fund Payments: The European Commission officially issued the first payments of its €750 billion Next Generation EU coronavirus recovery package. The recovery funds will help finance green and digital transformation projects across the European Union, which should ultimately benefit the electronics manufacturing industry. In case you missed it, IPC released a report in April which illustrated how instrumental the electronics industry will be in Europe’s economic recovery from COVID-19 and its long-term green and digital ambitions. IPC Contact: Alison James.

European Countries Call for PFAS Ban in Europe: On July 15, five EU countries announced they would be submitting a proposal that would ban the manufacture, sale, and use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) under Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation. If the restriction proposal is adopted, then manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers would be banned from all uses of PFAS except those determined to be essential. Please let us know if your company or products would be affected by this possible PFAS restriction. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

Feedback Needed on End-of-Life Directive Revisions: The European Commission is currently reviewing the End-of-Life (ELV) Directive to address circularity and extended producer responsibility, and electronics are expected to come up. The directive, which aims to make the dismantling and recycling of ELVs more environmentally friendly, is set to be revised by the end of 2022. The public consultation on the revision ends October 26. Please let us know if you or your company would be affected by changes to the directive, and let us know if you have any input. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

 

TAX, TRADE, AND SUPPLY CHAIN

IPC’s Latest Economic Trends Report: Many industries continue to be plagued by supply chain disruptions, and the electronics industry is no exception. Although these pressures are expected to ease in the coming months, IPC believes “supply chain disruptions will continue to reverberate throughout the economy, and the electronics industry, well into next year.” Check out IPC Chief Economist Shawn DuBravac’s latest Monthly Economic Outlook Report and let us know if you have any questions. IPC Contact: Shawn DuBravac.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Manage the Exciting Legislative Changes That Are Putting Millions Back into IPC Members’ Pockets: Virtual, August 19. Join IPC President and CEO John Mitchell and alliantgroup’s Jenn Groff for an informative session and discussion on the latest updates to powerful tax credits and incentives for IPC members, manufacturers, and suppliers. Hear about the latest changes to the Employee Retention Credit from the IRS, why it applies to you, how you can qualify for these critical credits, and why business owners who previously looked at this, need to take a second look. Register here.

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.

 

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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