US_HISCO_SPIRE

Hisco Conflict Minerals Policy


Hisco Policy

Hisco is dedicated to supporting our vendor partners’ and customers’ efforts to comply with section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Dodd-Frank Act). While a number of Hisco vendor partners have developed targeted communications regarding their corporate positions in reference to conflict minerals, customers should refer directly to the manufacturer for any questions regarding this issue. Hisco representatives can assist you in contacting manufacturers to obtain information but in no situation will a Hisco representative make statements or claims on behalf of the manufacturers in reference to their policies on conflict minerals.

Background

Conflict minerals are minerals mined in areas with armed conflicts and human rights abuses, most notably in the Democratic Republic of Congo by the Congolese National Army and various armed rebel groups. Commonly extracted minerals from the Congo, such as cassiterite, wolframite, coltan, and gold are usually passed through a variety of intermediaries before potentially being purchased by multinational companies. These minerals are essential for manufacturing a variety of devices, especially electronic devices. Cassiterite is of particular relevance to Hisco because it is used to produce tin, an essential element in manufacturing a wide range of soldering products.

US Law

Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act requires companies to verify and disclose their sources of cassiterite, wolframite, and tantalum. On July 25, 2011, the US State Department issued a statement: “Section 1502(c) of the Law mandates that the State Department work in conjunction with the SEC on certain elements of conflict minerals policy development and support.”

Auditing and Reporting Requirements

The US Conflict Minerals Law contains two requirements that are closely connected: independent third party supply chain traceability audits and reporting of audit information to the public and the SEC. Even companies not directly regulated by the SEC will be impacted by the audit requirements because this information will be pushed down through entire supply chains.

Last Updated: December 14, 2017

North America's Premier Distributor of Mission Critical Materials ® © 2008-  Copyright Hisco, Inc. Industrial Distributor. All rights reserved