Conflict minerals are minerals mined in conditions of armed conflict and human rights abuses, in the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and surrounding areas. There is international concern that revenues obtained by the various armed groups from the mining and transport of these minerals finance the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
The list of conflict minerals currently consists of four minerals commonly used in electronics manufacturing.
- Cassiterite – An ore needed to produce Tin.
- Wolframite – A source of Tungsten.
- Coltan – A source of Tantalum.
- Gold
In 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act was passed requiring publicly traded companies to report annually to the SEC. Although PPSI is not a publicly traded company, we are in full support of this initiative and will make reasonable efforts to assure that these specific metals used in our manufacturing process are not sourced from mines in the conflict region.
While PPSI, as a contract manufacturer, does not purchase raw metals and is not able to certify as to the country of origin of the minerals contained in the products manufactured by PPSI’s suppliers, PPSI is committed to working with its customers to supply products that meet the customer’s specifications.
As such, PPSI has either obtained, or is in the process of obtaining conflict mineral policies from suppliers of the following types of items used during manufacturing:
- Bare Printed Circuit Boards
- Solder
- Integrated Circuits, Semiconductors, and other Electronic Components used on Printed Circuit Assemblies.
Based on this information, PPSI does not knowingly use or purchase any materials or metals derived from the conflict region.
Applicable suppliers are required to demonstrate to PPSI management that they practice due diligence with their supply chain to ensure that conflict minerals are not being used in the manufacture or distribution of their products.
Additionally, PPSI is a member of the trade association, IPC – Association Connecting Electronics Industries, which communicates with legislators and develops tools to support Dodd-Frank compliance in the supply chain.