Conflict Minerals: Decreased Enforcement Expected from SEC Regarding Conflict Minerals Regulations – For Now

Jul 22, 2017 | Joan Meyer, Reagan Demas, and Maria McMahon, Global Compliance News
View Original

In April 2017, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) Division of Corporate Finance announced it will not recommend enforcement action for companies that disclose, but do not further investigate usage of conflict minerals which may be from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Any company manufacturing or contracting to manufacture products using such minerals had previously been required to conduct extensive due diligence on its supply chain and make this diligence publicly known with a note that its products contained minerals which “have not been found to be ‘DRC conflict free.’” However, following a series of partial losses in court, the SEC appears to be backing off the rule—for now.