We support ending the violence and human rights violations in the mining of certain minerals from a location described as the “Conflict Region”, which is situated in the eastern portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and surrounding countries. As a result the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) adopted final rules to implement reporting and disclosure requirements related to “conflict minerals,” as directed by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010.

The definition of “conflict minerals” refers to gold, as well as tin, tantalum, and tungsten, the derivatives of cassiterite, columbite-tantalite, and wolframite, regardless of where they are sourced, processed or sold. The U.S. Secretary of State may designate other minerals in the future. We support these requirements to further the humanitarian goal of ending violent conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and in surrounding countries, which has been partially financed by the exploitation and trade of “conflict minerals”.

OUR COMMITMENT:

• Support the aims and objectives of the U.S. legislation on the supply of “conflict minerals”. 
• Do not knowingly procure specified metals that originate from facilities in the “Conflict Region” that are not certified as “conflict free”. 
• Require our suppliers to undertake reasonable due diligence with their supply chains to assure that specified metals are being sourced only from:
  • Mines and smelters, which have been certified by an independent third party as “conflict free” if, sourced within the “Conflict Region”.
  • Mines and smelters outside the “Conflict Region” or

If we discover the use of these minerals produced in facilities that are considered to be “non-conflict free”, in any material, parts or components we procure, we will take appropriate actions to transition product to be “conflict free”.