Dear IPC Members:

Are you getting ready for IPC APEX EXPO 2022? We hope to see you in San Diego next week for the fastest-growing association show in the United States.

Plus, stay tuned for the release of a new IPC report on the PCB industry, which will document how the United States has lost its historic dominance in PCBs and what can be done by industry and government to fix it.

Meanwhile, our policy advocacy effort is in full swing in Washington, Brussels and beyond. Below are the latest highlights, and we welcome your questions and suggestions.

All the best,

Chris Mitchell
Vice President, Global Government Relations

The Headlines at a Glance: 

TOP NEWS OF THE WEEK 

• IPC Advocates for Transatlantic Cooperation on Resilient Supply Chains

 IPC ADVOCACY & YOU

• IPC to Hold Virtual IMPACT Washington, D.C. Event in March
• Which Government Policies Worry You Most?

 DEFENSE AND SECURITY

• Questions Surround CMMC Assessment Guide

ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH

• Lead Considered for Inclusion on REACH Authorization List
• IPC Supports Proposed PIP (3:1) Compliance Date

EUROPEAN UNION

• European Chips Act Slated for February Release
• CSRD Under Debate in Parliament

HELP US SPREAD THE WORD ON SOCIAL MEDIA

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH US

TOP NEWS OF THE WEEK

IPC Advocates for Transatlantic Cooperation on Resilient Supply Chains: IPC recently made the case for a resilient electronics manufacturing ecosystem and further investments in advanced packaging at the inaugural meeting of the European Commission’s consultation on secure supply chains. IPC supports investments to stem the chip shortage, but if the EU and U.S. governments want to achieve greater innovation, resiliency, and security, they must also build up the entire electronics manufacturing ecosystem. Read our full recommendations to the EU-U.S. Trade and Technology Council (TTC) in a new IPC blog. IPC Contact: Alison James.

IPC ADVOCACY AND YOU

IPC to Hold Virtual IMPACT Washington, D.C. Event in March: IPC’s next U.S. advocacy event – IMPACT Washington, D.C. – will take place in March, but it will be virtual only due to COVID. We had planned for an in-person IMPACT, but due to uncertainty about the pandemic and the Omicron variant, policymakers are unlikely to take meetings with large groups at that time. Stay tuned for the details, coming soon. IPC Contact: Ken Schramko.
 
Which Government Policies Worry You Most? As we plan our GR activities for the year, we want to know how the IPC Government Relations team can best advocate for you now and in the future. Throughout 2021, we asked IPC members about the key challenges they are facing. Cory Steeby of Holland, MI cautioned that “tariffs are an ongoing additional tax on U.S. manufacturing companies,” and that “the electronic component and bare PCB supply chains are broken.” Let us know your top concerns via this five-minute, five-question survey. IPC Contact: Chris Mitchell.

DEFENSE AND SECURITY

Questions Surround CMMC Assessment Guide: The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) recently published a Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Level 2 assessment guide, but many questions remain, says cybersecurity expert and IPC Thought Leader Leslie Weinstein. As a reminder, CMMC 2.0, unveiled in November, aims to minimize compliance costs, particularly for small businesses, in response to concerns raised by IPC and others. Read more about what CMMC 2.0 means for our industry in an IPC blog. IPC Contact: Chris Mitchell.

ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH

Lead Considered for Inclusion on REACH Authorization List: Lead (Pb) metal is one of eight substances proposed for inclusion on the European Commission’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Authorization List. A three-month public consultation by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is expected to begin in early February. IPC will continue to coordinate with industry stakeholders on communication regarding this regulatory activity. Let us know if you would like to learn more. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

IPC Supports Proposed PIP (3:1) Compliance Date: IPC, alongside our peer groups CTA and ITI, recently coordinated on a joint response offering industry support for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed compliance deadline for phenol, isopropylated phosphate (3:1) – PIP (3:1) – a chemical substance used as a flame retardant and plasticizer in electronics. The comments reiterated several requests for clarifications and exemptions for uses of PIP (3:1). IPC will continue to engage with industry members and the EPA to ensure a reasonable plan for a future prohibition of PIP (3:1) and articles containing it. Read more in an IPC blog. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

EUROPEAN UNION

EU Chips Act Slated for February Release: The European Commission is set to present legislation aiming to improve the bloc’s semiconductor and microchip production in early February. The draft legislation, called the EU Chips Act, is expected to align research and development (R&D) across the bloc, coordinate funding, and create a “state of the art ecosystem” for microchip producers. Let us know if you have any questions. IPC Contact: Alison James.

CSRD Under Debate in Parliament: The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is currently under discussion in the European Parliament, with the intended scope of the directive and the timing of implementation two main points of contention. The proposed CSRD seeks to strengthen the reporting requirements for sustainability information of certain large companies. A plenary vote is expected in March. IPC will continue to track and advocate for a reporting system that is workable for electronics manufacturers. Read more about the CSRD and the implications for our industry in an April 2021 IPC blog. IPC Contact: Alison James.

HELP US SPREAD THE WORD ON SOCIAL MEDIA

“How does sourcing chips from some Intel plant inside the U.S. help a DoD prime contractor who then has to ship them back to Taiwan or China to put those chips onto a substrate and into a package?” Todd Brassard, CEO, Calumet Electronics Corporation, talks to Forbes about the need to rebuild the entire microelectronics system in the United States.		“There are serious and growing risks lurking in the DoD’s continuing reliance on lead-based electronics in defense and intelligence applications.” Chris Peters, U.S. Partnership for Assured Electronics (USPAE), comments in SMT007 on the need for the DoD and Congress to prioritize research into lead-free electronics.

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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