Chris Mitchell
Vice President, Global Government Relations

The Headlines at a Glance: 

TOP NEWS OF THE WEEK 

• New York State Announces Support for New TTM UHDI Facility

QUOTE OF THE WEEK 

• IPC’s John W. Mitchell on Potential Disruptions to the U.S. CHIPS Program  

ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH

• Proposed EPA Rule to Restrict Trichloroethylene Use
• India Launches Chemical Inventory Platform
• New Climate Disclosure Laws Signed in California

EUROPEAN UNION

• European Commission Aims to Reduce Reporting Requirements

TRADE AND SUPPLY CHAIN

• Michigan Supports Calumet’s Plans for First U.S. Substrate Factory
• DBX Microelectronics Challenge Entries Exceed Expectations

UPCOMING EVENTS

• iNEMI Counterfeit Components Tech Topic Series: Counterfeit Management & Best Practices, Nov. 7
• Highlights of IPC’s 2023 PCB Technology Trends Study: Webinar, Nov. 9
• IPC Electronics Forum at productronica 2023, Nov. 15-18
• PFAS: Global Regulations, Restrictions, and Alternatives, Dec. 5
• Global Chemicals Management for Electronics 2023, Dec. 6-7
• IPC Wintercom 2024: Barcelona, Jan. 22-25

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TOP NEWS OF THE WEEK

New York Announces Support for New TTM UHDI Facility: On Wednesday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (NY) joined TTM executives and local and state economic development officials to announce the company’s new $130 million plant that will produce ultra high-density interconnect (UHDI) printed circuit boards. Located in DeWitt near Syracuse, the plant announcement comes a week after the Syracuse region was designated as a national tech hub under the CHIPS and Sciences Act. “I applaud TTM for this major investment and thank Governor Hochul and local leaders for their partnership in helping secure this investment and further positioning Upstate NY as a leader for America’s critical microelectronics supply chains that power everything from data centers to the power grid to aerospace engineering,” Sen. Schumer said. The state is providing $17 million in tax credits for job creation and retention along with another $5 million in grants for capital investments. TTM’s announcement follows that of Calumet Electronics last week, when the company announced plans for the first advanced IC substrate factory in the U.S. The support from the states falls in line with IPC’s advocacy for investments in the entire electronics ecosystem. Read more about the announcement. 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“If you consider it just a chips act instead of a systems act, it will fail. It’s a good step, but it’s literally just the first step.” –  IPC President and CEO Dr. John W. Mitchell in an interview with The Hill newspaper on the effects of a possible government shutdown on CHIPS Act funding decisions.

ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH, AND SUSTAINABILITY

U.S. EPA Proposes New Rule on Trichloroethylene (TCE): On Tuesday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a risk management rule under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that would prohibit the import, manufacture, processing, and distribution of trichloroethylene (TCE), a chlorinated solvent. The rule would also cover the use and disposal of TCE or products containing it, as well as mandate recordkeeping requirements and workplace safety standards. The EPA is proposing the rule to address “the unreasonable risk of injury to human health” from TCE. Prohibited applications would include the industrial and commercial use of TCE in naval electronics systems as well as cleaning practices that require open-top and closed-loop batch vapor degreasing and aerosol spray degreasing. Compliance would start one year after publication of the final rule; however, there would be longer timeframes for phasing out some industrial and commercial uses, such as on naval vessels. Comments on the proposed risk management rule are due on or before Dec. 15. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

India Launches Chemical Inventory Platform. Designed to meet the needs of the chemical industry, ChemIndia launched on Oct. 10 as a comprehensive data collection system and data-sharing hub for users of chemicals as well as researchers and policymakers. India’s Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals created the system to allow for real-time data collection, big data analytics, and easy access to information. India is just one of many countries that are aiming to collect more information about the chemicals and materials used to make products like electronics. The trend toward improved supply chain transparency is realized through systems like ChemIndia. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

New Climate Disclosure Laws Signed in California: California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Oct. 7 signed the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act, which will require U.S. companies with annual revenues of $1 billion or more to report both their direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions starting in 2026. A second signed law, the Climate-related Financial Risk Act, will require companies generating $500 million or more to report financial risks related to climate change and their risk mitigation plans. These rules go further than other proposed climate disclosure rules in the U.S. and are likely to have far-reaching impacts. A good summary of the policies is here. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

EUROPEAN UNION

EC’s 2024 Work Programme Aims to Reduce Reporting Requirements: The European Commission on Oct. 17 published its 2024 Work Programme with an emphasis on reducing reporting requirements by 25% to improve the European Union’s global competitiveness. IPC welcomes the move, having previously communicated to the EC about the breadth of reporting obligations faced by electronics manufacturers, notably in the environmental and sustainability fields. As part of the Work Programme, the EC is seeking comments through Nov. 28 to identify reporting requirements that can be removed or rationalized without undermining policy objectives. IPC will be submitting comments, and we welcome your input. In related action, the Commission also proposed to postpone the deadline to adopt sector-specific European sustainability reporting standards. “Fitness checks” on a series of existing legislation will continue. IPC Contact: Alison James.

TRADE AND SUPPLY CHAIN

Michigan Supports Calumet’s Plans for First U.S. Substrate Factory: In a significant step for the U.S. electronics manufacturing industry, the state of Michigan last week announced incentives to help IPC-member Calumet Electronics build the nation’s first substrate manufacturing facility in the company’s namesake hometown. Calumet’s plans address a significant need in the U.S. microelectronics ecosystem, which currently lacks the critical mass to complement the semiconductor investments coming through the CHIPS and Sciences Act. “The funding will allow Calumet Electronics to advance our technology with a primary focus on bringing semiconductor and microelectronics manufacturing back to the United States,” said Stephen Vairo, Calumet’s president. IPC has strongly advocated for the need to invest in the entire electronics ecosystem to strengthen the resiliency of the supply chain, and we’re excited to see Michigan this step. Read more about the announcement.

DBX Challenge Entries Exceed Expectations: The Defense Business Accelerator (DBX) Microelectronics Challenge, launched in late September by IPC-subsidiary U.S. Partnership for Assured Electronics (USPAE) with funding from the U.S. Department of Defense, received twice the number of entries expected by the Oct. 12 deadline. A third of the entries came from small- and medium-sized microelectronics firms, a sign of both the depth of innovation running through the industry and the interest to develop dual-use technologies with applications in both civilian and national security sectors. DBX will award up to 10 grants between $500,000 and $2 million to develop the proposals. Finalists will be announced in coming weeks and invited to pitch their solutions at the Defense TechConnect Innovation & Expo on Nov. 28. USPAE Contact: Nathan Edwards.

UPCOMING EVENTS

iNEMI Counterfeit Components Tech Topic Series: Counterfeit Management & Best Practices: Webinar, Nov. 7, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Focusing on standards that address issues related to counterfeits, such as detection, traceability, mitigation, reporting and more. Open to the industry, advanced registration is required.

Highlights of IPC’s 2023 PCB Technology Trends Study: Webinar, Nov. 9, 10-11 a.m. CST. Industry veteran Mike Carano will present key findings from IPC’s recently published PCB Technology Trends study. Registration is free.

IPC Electronics Forum at productronica 2023: Munich, Nov. 15-18. Presentations in the IPC booth, #A4-502, will cover advanced packaging, design, IPC-CFX, sustainability, and wire harness. Click for ticket information and to register.  

PFAS: Global Regulations, Restrictions, and Alternatives: Virtual, Dec. 5. Presented by Chemical Watch, this one-day conference will address the latest regulatory developments around per- and polyfluoroalkyl and share advice on how to respond, including discussions about the rising market for PFAS-free alternatives. Registration is ₤495.
 
Global Chemicals Management for Electronics 2023: Virtual, Dec. 6-7. Presented by Chemical Watch, this two-day conference will provide an in-depth focus on regulatory updates and practice for the management of chemicals in electronics. On Dec. 6, Kelly Scanlon will moderate a panel on regulatory developments in the Americas and on PFAS, Dec. 7. IPC members receive a 15% discount on registration. E-mail events@chemicalwatch.com for more information.

IPC Wintercom 2024: Barcelona, Spain, Jan. 22-25, 2024. A new event to support IPC standards development committees in face-to-face sessions, Wintercom 2024 will convene colleagues from around the globe for a week of meetings. The event is free to both IPC members and non-members with an interest in IPC standards development. Register today!

PLEASE "LIKE" AND "SHARE" OUR LINKEDIN POSTS

2023 was the inaugural year of IPC’s Community Magazine. Sustainability was covered in all four issues – proof that there is a need for more information about sustainability in the electronics manufacturing value chain. For the Q4 edition, IPC’s lead sustainability strategist Dr. Kelly Scanlon wrote about standards. While most IPC Standards communicate and clarify expectations for quality and reliability in electronics manufacturing, there are more than a dozen IPC standards that address important and relevant #sustainability for electronics topics.		Check out John W. Mitchell’s blog, "We Need To Regain A Passion For Technicians And Skilled Workers," for the benefits of pursuing a skilled worker job today. While college can be an excellent choice for some, it's not always the answer for everyone.

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH US 

Meet the IPC GR Team: Whether it is engaging with policymakers in the Americas, the European Union, or Asia, 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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