To help companies develop an effective conflict minerals program to meet customer, legal and regulatory requirements established by Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, as well as the regulation published by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), IPC has released “IPC Conflict Minerals Due Diligence Guide.” The document provides guidance on the tracking, management, disclosure and reporting of conflict minerals.

Expected to have a similar impact on the electronics manufacturing industry as the EU RoHS Directive, conflict minerals regulations will reportedly affect the entire electronics supply chain, regardless of whether or not a company is directly regulated by the SEC. Recognizing the complexities and business challenges that are associated with the global electronics industry and its vast network of global suppliers, IPC’s guide leads companies through the appropriate level of due diligence given their size or number of supply chain relationships.

“This document will help companies navigate their downstream supply chain due diligence responsibilities,” said John Ciba of Brady Corp. and co-chair of the IPC Conflict Minerals Due Diligence Committee. “There is a real need in the downstream supply chain for step-by-step guidance on what to do when it comes to addressing conflict minerals regulations, and that’s exactly what this guide provides.”

For additional information, visit www.ipc.org/conflict-minerals.