Category Archives: Government Relations

U.S. Congress to Approve Funds for R&D on Lead-free Electronics in Aerospace, Defense and High-performance Applications

December 19, 2019 – 10:38 am

In a win for U.S. taxpayers, defense readiness, and the electronics industry supply chain, the U.S. House and Senate are poised this week to approve a defense spending bill that includes $5 million for research and development on the issues surrounding lead-free electronics in mission-critical applications. IPC and dozens of its members and allies supported […]

By IPC | Also posted in electronics, IPC, Lead Free, Legislation, Manufacturing, Regulations, Technical | Tagged , , , , | Comments (1)

Ceasefire Announced in U.S.-China Trade War

December 17, 2019 – 9:32 am

By Chris Mitchell, vice president, global government relations On Friday, December 13, the United States and China announced they had struck a “phase one” deal that effectively pauses the trade war that has flared between the countries over the last two years. The Trump administration says the deal “requires structural reforms and other changes to […]

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Rising Tariffs Put a Painful Squeeze on Electronics Manufacturing

December 13, 2019 – 8:37 am

To determine the effects the U.S./China tariff dispute has on U.S. electronics manufacturers, IPC conducted a survey of its U.S. members. The results reflect how difficult it is for a global industry to navigate this uncertainty. IPC President and CEO John Mitchell provides details in his monthly IPC president’s message.

By IPC | Also posted in Economy, IPC, Manufacturing, Membership, President's Message, Supply Chain, trade | Tagged , , , | Leave a Comment

IMPACT Europe 2019: IPC Members Call for Pro-manufacturing Policies to Strengthen the Competitiveness of the European Electronics Value Chain

December 10, 2019 – 11:07 am

Representatives of electronics companies from across Europe gathered last week in Brussels to call on European policy makers to ensure the right policy and regulatory environment to stimulate innovation in the electronics value chain and boost its competitiveness in Europe. Held annually, IMPACT Europe is our premier annual advocacy event in Brussels, giving IPC members […]

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Evaluating RoHS: What Works and What Doesn’t

October 29, 2019 – 1:12 pm

By Kelly Scanlon, director, EHS policy and research The European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive, known as RoHS, aims to protect human health and the environment and maximize recovery of certain hazardous substances after their use. How well is the RoHS Directive working? We’re about to find out. Specifically, there are several opportunities between […]

By kellyannscanlon | Also posted in Environment, Health and Safety, IPC, Lead Free, Regulations, Supply Chain | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

IPC Joins European Industry Group on Responsible Sourcing of Minerals

October 9, 2019 – 8:56 am

By Chris Mitchell, vice president, global government relations and Ken Schramko, senior director, North American government relations On an issue of long-running concern to the electronics industry, IPC has joined the European Partnership for Responsible Minerals (EPRM) as part of its continuing efforts to help IPC members avoid undue regulation and navigate the challenge of […]

By IPC | Also posted in Committees, Conflict Minerals, Environment, Health and Safety, IPC, Regulations, Standards, Supply Chain | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Weaving Advocacy into E-Textiles

September 17, 2019 – 7:47 am

By Kelly Scanlon, director, EHS policy and research Electronic textiles (e-textiles) – fabrics that have electronics embedded in them to achieve certain functions – are of growing interest in the electronics manufacturing industry, and thus they are of growing interest to the IPC Government Relations team as well. E-textiles are being developed and/or used for […]

By kellyannscanlon | Also posted in Committees, e-textiles, Environment, Health and Safety, IPC, IPC D-70 E-Textiles Committee, IPC E-Textiles 2019, Standards | Leave a Comment

IPC Names Shawn DuBravac, Global Tech Trends Expert, as New Chief Economist

September 5, 2019 – 6:33 am

Today, IPC announced Shawn DuBravac, Ph.D., CFA, will serve as the association’s chief economist. In this role, DuBravac will expand IPC’s research program and provide insights on the biggest issues facing the $2 trillion global electronics industry, including supply chain resiliency/uncertainty, trade wars, skilled workforce shortage, and the expanding role of electronics in the global […]

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IPC Welcomes Trump Apprenticeship Program but Calls for Clarifications

August 28, 2019 – 10:33 am

By Ken Schramko, senior director, North American government relations The Trump administration deserves praise for taking steps to encourage new apprenticeship programs, but the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) proposal to do so needs further refinement, according to IPC comments submitted to the department this week. IPC welcomes the administration’s focus on workforce development, because […]

By Ken Schramko | Also posted in education, electronics, IPC, IPC Education Foundation, Workforce Development | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Names to Know: Up and Comers in U.S. Congress

August 13, 2019 – 2:01 pm

By Ken Schramko, IPC Senior Director, North American Government Relations When major news occurs in the U.S. Congress, you usually hear the names of top congressional leaders such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) or Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). However, it’s a mistake to focus only at the top. There are 435 voting […]

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