IPC Global Advocacy Report

11/10/2023

Dear IPC Members:  

Here is your weekly, five-minute read on what your IPC Government Relations team is doing on your behalf.  

In the past two weeks, news came out regarding major state government investments in electronics manufacturing in New York and Michigan that go right to the heart of our efforts to promote an ecosystem approach to building sustainable supply chains.

This week, the spotlight turns to India, where the country’s multi-billion-dollar initiative to develop an electronics manufacturing ecosystem is yielding tangible results for EMS and ODM companies.

We’re also only a few days away from National Apprenticeship Week starting Monday here in the United States. Behind the scenes, IPC staff have been busy raising the profile of apprenticeships as a lucrative path to career development for people entering the workforce as well as a key training strategy for bridging the skills gap in our industry. During the week, a number of events will put a spotlight on that work. Look for a major announcement from IPC as we push for federal recognition of our National Apprenticeship Standards.

Please read on to learn more about our work on the issues affecting the industry – and let us know your thoughts and questions.

All the best,

Chris Mitchell
Vice President, Global Government Relations

 

The Headlines at a Glance: 

TOP NEWS OF THE WEEK 

  • India’s $2.3B Electronics Manufacturing Initiative Attracting Investments

QUOTE OF THE WEEK 

  • Intel’s Santhosh Viswanathan on Building out the Electronics Global Supply Chain  

ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH, AND SUSTAINABILITY

  • U.S., EPA Proposes New Rule on Trichloroethylene (TCE)
  • New Climate Disclosure Laws Signed in California

EUROPEAN UNION

  • Deadline Nears for Comments on European Reporting Requirements

TRADE AND SUPPLY CHAIN

  • iNEMI Seeking Information on Counterfeit Components
  • New York State Announces Support for New TTM UHDI Facility
  • Michigan Supports Calumet’s Plans for First U.S. Substrate Factory

UPCOMING EVENTS

  • IPC Electronics Forum at productronica 2023, Nov. 14-17
  • Unpacking the TSCA PFAS Reporting Rule – Impacts on the Electronics Sector Webinar, Nov. 29
  • 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

India’s $2.3B Electronics Manufacturing Initiative Attracting Investments: On Nov. 3, Intel announced a partnership with eight electronic manufacturing companies (EMS) and original design manufacturers (ODM) to build complete entry-level laptops in India, a move that aligns with the government’s efforts to build out the country’s electronics manufacturing ecosystem and digital economy. As the world moves to diversify the global supply chain to mitigate the impact of disruptions from natural disasters and geopolitics, India has earmarked major incentives to build out the country’s electronics manufacturing capabilities. The $2.3 billion (Rs 17,000 crore) in incentives for local manufacturing is expected to create more than $73 billion in manufacturing activity over six years. “[Intel’s announcement] aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to drive India’s Digital Economy to $1 trillion and enable the electronics manufacturing ecosystem to contribute $300 billion by 2025-26,” said Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT. Read more about the announcement.


QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Bringing in Intel’s technology-related investments and global system supply chain ecosystem knowledge exemplifies our dedication to fostering electronic manufacturing capabilities in India.”

–  Santhosh Viswanathan, vice president and managing director of Intel’s India division, on the partnership with local EMS and ODM companies to build complete laptops in India.  

 

ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH, AND SUSTAINABILITY

U.S., EPA Proposes New Rule on Trichloroethylene (TCE): On Oct. 31, 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. 

New Climate Disclosure Laws Signed in California: California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act in October, 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

Deadline Nov. 28 for Comments on Reporting Requirement Reductions: As part of the 2024 Work Programme, the European Commission is seeking comments through Nov. 28 to identify reporting requirements that can be removed or rationalized without undermining policy objectives. The comments are sought in relation to the programme’s objectives to reduce reporting requirements by 25% to improve the European Union’s global competitiveness. IPC is submitting comments, and we welcome your input. IPC Contact: Alison James.

 

TRADE AND SUPPLY CHAIN

iNEMI Seeking Information on Counterfeit Components: The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI) is conducting a brief survey through Tuesday, Nov. 14, on industry experiences with counterfeit components and efforts to guard against them. Counterfeit components have become a multi-million-dollar issue within the electronics industry that can affect every segment of the market, including consumer goods, networking and communications, medical, automotive, aerospace, and defense. Use of counterfeits can lead to increased scrap rates, early field failures, and increased rework rates, costly both in terms of money and brand reputation as well as representing a real hazard, especially mission critical systems. Click to take the survey. For additional information, please contact Mark Schaffer.

New York State Announces Support for New TTM UHDI Facility: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (NY) joined TTM executives and local and state economic development officials Nov. 1 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. 

Michigan Supports Calumet’s Plans for First U.S. Substrate Factory: In a significant step for the U.S. electronics manufacturing industry, state of Michigan announced on Oct. 25 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.


UPCOMING EVENTS

IPC Electronics Forum at productronica 2023: Munich, Nov. 14-17. 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.  


Unpacking the TSCA PFAS Reporting Rule – Impacts on the Electronics Sector: Webinar, Nov. 29, 12:00 pm EST. This webinar will provide an overview of the new one-time EPA reporting rule on PFAS under the Toxic Substances Control Act. 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

 

Merely producing more chips is not enough. No one buys just chips; they buy components and systems that contain chips. And unfortunately, the United States is even more dependent on overseas suppliers for these related components than they are for semiconductor chips. 

The European Commission recently published its 2024 Work Programme, with an emphasis on reducing reporting requirements by 25% to improve the European Union’s global competitiveness. IPC will be submitting comments, and we would welcome your input.

 

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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