Minerals mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and adjoining countries may be making their way into the electronics industry supply chain. Some mining operations in the DRC have been linked to poor labor and environmental practices, and there is evidence that some mining and transportation of minerals in the Eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are funding conflict in the country by funding illegal armed groups. As part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) passed legislation which requires U.S. companies to report on the origin of these conflict minerals including tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold, often referred to as 3TGs.
Kimball Electronics, Inc. is committed to ethical practices and compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. While we do not source these metals directly, they may exist in the materials and components we source. We are therefore committed to working with our customers and suppliers to responsibly source the materials and components we use in manufacturing our customers’ products which may contain these minerals. To comply with the SEC reporting regulations relating to conflict minerals, Kimball requires chain of custody declarations from our suppliers to verify the origin of the conflict minerals contained in their products.
In addition, we require the following from our suppliers:
We require the following from our customers:
In addition, we will work with our suppliers and also our customers, where the supply chain has been established by our customer, to seek remedies for non-compliance.
The process of tracing the conflict minerals through the supply chain is complicated and timeconsuming. Therefore, we will rely on industry initiatives, such as the Conflict Free Smelter Program, for assistance in complying with the SEC reporting requirements on conflict minerals.
KEI’s policy is to provide one finalized CMRT the first week of April each year. The rationale behind this policy/timeline includes:
Kimball Electronics is committed to working with our customers and our suppliers to ensure effective implementation of this legislation.
Rev 10.24.2019
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For more information regarding Kimball Electronics, Inc. Conflict Minerals policy, contact us below.