Dear IPC Members:

Labor Day might be right around the corner here in the United States, but IPC’s advocacy efforts are in full swing.

In case you missed it, there is a timely opportunity for IPC members to advocate for electronics manufacturing inclusion in a major tech R&D bill working its way through the U.S. Congress. I urge you to get involved in this critical issue if you have not done so already. (See the summary below.)

And there are several other ongoing opportunities to share your input, including on a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) petition process, U.S. government policies, and more. We want to hear from you!

And if your company has questions about eco-design principles and how to minimize the environmental impact of your products and services, register to join a webinar next week on September 9.
 
From all of us here at IPC, please have a safe, restful Labor Day Weekend!

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 can 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.

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.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"The strength of the U.S. economic recovery has tested the near-term capacity of our supply chains, and the administration is operating on all fronts to ease bottlenecks and facilitate the flow of goods across the country.”
- National Economic Council (NEC) Director Brian Deese addresses how supply chain disruptions will be a focus of the Biden administration’s Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force.

DEFENSE & SECURITY

Electronics Industry Summit with DoD Spawns More Dialogue, Collaboration: The U.S. Partnership for Assured Electronics (USPAE) recently convened a two-day meeting to foster increased dialogue and working relationships between the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and leaders across the electronics industry. The attendees 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. A series of forums and meetings are being planned to further advance this work. Contact USPAE if you'd like to participate or have any questions.

ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH

Do the EPA’s CDR Regulations Affect You? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) opened the comment period last week 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.

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.
 
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.

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

White House Announces New Port Envoy to Supply Chain Task Force: The White House has named John Porcari as port envoy to the Biden administration’s Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force where he will be tasked with addressing congestion at U.S. ports. The task force was created to address supply and demand differences caused by the pandemic, particularly in the semiconductor, construction, transportation, and agriculture sectors. Let us know if you or your company have been faced with port and shipping congestions. IPC Contact: Ken Schramko.

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

iNEMI Tech Topic Series: Eco-Design for Circular Electronics Economy: Virtual, September 9. Join us for the next webinar in iNEMI’s eco-design series to learn how Fronius and IBM are using eco-design principles to minimize the environmental impact of their products and services. Register for the webinar here. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

HELP US SPREAD THE WORD ON SOCIAL MEDIA

We’re looking forward to Chemical Watch’s virtual Global Electronics Summit, September 21-23, with IPC’s Kelly Scanlon, Director of Environment, Health and Safety Policy & Research, presenting on the EU’s sustainable products initiative. IPC members receive a 20% discount.		What was the best part of IPC SummerCom 2021? Definitely seeing all of these smiling faces for the first IPC in-person event in almost two years! We hope you enjoyed it!

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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