IPC: some regulations hurt U.S. EMS

IPC identified four issues it said significantly burdens the industry, “further contributing to the continued decline of U.S. employment in the electronics manufacturing sector,” as stated on IPC's website. The issues were outlined in a letter to House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa on June 1. Proposed regulations on conflict minerals, the EPA Chemical Data Reporting rule, proproposed changes to the 2008 DSW rule and OSHA regulations were all identified as cumbersome to the industry. IPC has criticized conflict mineral regulation under the Dodd-Frank Act earlier, with Steve Pudles, Chairman of the Board of IPC Association, testifying before congress last month. Pudles said IPC supports the underlying goal to address the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), but believed the proposed regulation could place burden on small businesses in particular. “Proposed regulations on conflict minerals being developed by the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) under Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act could impose extremely burdensome reporting requirements on manufacturers that use tin, gold, tantalum and tungsten in their products,” a press release by IPC said.