0001193125-19-156277.txt : 20190524 0001193125-19-156277.hdr.sgml : 20190524 20190524095933 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0001193125-19-156277 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: SD PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 2 13p-1 1.01 20181231 1.02 20181231 FILED AS OF DATE: 20190524 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20190524 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: Knowles Corp CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0001587523 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: HOUSEHOLD AUDIO & VIDEO EQUIPMENT [3651] IRS NUMBER: 901002689 STATE OF INCORPORATION: DE FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: SD SEC ACT: 1934 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 001-36102 FILM NUMBER: 19852353 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 1151 MAPLEWOOD DRIVE CITY: ITASCA STATE: IL ZIP: 60143 BUSINESS PHONE: 630-250-5100 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 1151 MAPLEWOOD DRIVE CITY: ITASCA STATE: IL ZIP: 60143 SD 1 d756408dsd.htm SD SD

 

 

United States

Securities and Exchange Commission

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM SD

 

 

SPECIALIZED DISCLOSURE REPORT

 

 

Knowles Corporation

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   001-36102   90-1002689

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(Commission

File Number)

 

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

 

1151 Maplewood Drive

Itasca, Illinois

  60143
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

Robert J. Perna, Esq.

Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

(630) 250-5100

(Name and telephone number, including area code, of the person to contact in connection with this report.)

 

 

Check the appropriate box to indicate the rule pursuant to which this form is being filed, and provide the period to which the information in this form applies:

 

Rule 13p-1 under the Securities Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13p-1) for the reporting period from January 1 to December 31, 2018

 

 

 


Section 1—Conflict Minerals Disclosure

Item 1.01 Conflict Minerals Disclosure and Report

As provided for in Rule 13p-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Form SD, a Conflict Minerals Report is provided as an Exhibit to this Form SD and is available at the following Internet address: http://investor.knowles.com.

Information concerning tin, tantalum, tungsten and/or gold from recycled or scrap sources that may be contained in our in-scope products is included in the Conflict Minerals Report and is incorporated in this Form SD by reference.

Item 1.02

The Conflict Minerals Report described in Item 1.01 is filed as Exhibit 1.01 to this Form SD.

Section 2—Exhibits

Item 2.01 Exhibits

Exhibit 1.01 – Conflict Minerals Report for the calendar year ended December 31, 2018.


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the duly authorized undersigned.

 

KNOWLES CORPORATION

(Registrant)

By:

 

/s/ Robert J. Perna

     May 24, 2019

Name:

 

Robert J. Perna

    

Title:

 

Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

    


EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit

  

Description

1.01    Conflict Minerals Report for the calendar year ended December 31, 2018.

 

EX-1.01 2 d756408dex101.htm EX-1.01 EX-1.01

Exhibit 1.01

Conflict Minerals Report

Knowles Corporation has included this Conflict Minerals Report as an exhibit to its Form SD for 2018 as provided for in Rule 13p-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Form SD (collectively, the “Conflict Minerals Rule”). The date of filing of this Conflict Minerals Report is May 24, 2019. Unless the context indicates otherwise, the terms “we,” “its,” “us,” “our” and “Knowles” refer to Knowles Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries. Consistent with the Conflict Minerals Rule, “Conflict Minerals” are defined as columbite-tantalite (coltan), cassiterite, gold, wolframite and their derivatives, which are limited to tantalum, tin, tungsten and gold (“3TG”) for purposes of this assessment, without regard to the location of origin of the minerals or derivative metals.

Forward-Looking Statements

This Conflict Minerals Report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “continue,” “could,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “seek,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “expect” and similar expressions, among others, generally identify forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statements were made. The statements in this Conflict Minerals Report are based on current plans, expectations and assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those outcomes or results that are anticipated or implied in these statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the continued implementation of satisfactory traceability and other compliance measures by our direct and indirect suppliers on a timely basis or at all; whether smelters and refiners and other market participants responsibly source 3TG; political and regulatory developments, whether in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (the “DRC”), its adjoining countries, the United States or elsewhere; and other factors that we may not have currently identified or quantified. Knowles disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Overview; Applicability of the Conflict Minerals Rule to Our Company

Knowles is a market leader and global supplier of advanced micro-acoustic solutions, audio processing and precision device solutions serving the mobile consumer electronics, communications, medical, military, aerospace and industrial markets. We are subject to the Conflict Minerals Rule because certain of the products that we manufacture contain 3TG that are necessary to the functionality or production of the products. Not all of our products are in-scope under the Conflict Minerals Rule. Our in-scope products taken as a whole include all four 3TG.

We do not directly source 3TG from mines, smelters or refiners, and we believe that we are in most cases many levels removed from these market participants, which limits our influence over their sourcing. However, through the efforts described in this Conflict Minerals Report, we seek to ensure that our sourcing practices are consistent with the expectations provided in our Conflict Minerals Policy, which is described below.

For 2018, each of our in-scope products contained at least some 3TG content for which we were unable to determine the origin. Product, smelter and refiner information for 2018 is described under “Product Information” below and on Annex A. We have not found for 2018 that any of the necessary 3TG contained in our in-scope products directly or indirectly financed or benefitted armed groups in the DRC or an adjoining country. However, we could not conclude that any of our products were “DRC conflict free.” The terms “adjoining country,” “armed group” and “DRC conflict free” have the meanings contained in the Conflict Minerals Rule.

Our Conflict Minerals Policy

We strongly disapprove of the violence in the DRC and adjoining countries and are committed to supporting responsible sourcing of 3TG. We also take seriously our compliance obligations under the Conflict Minerals Rule. To these ends, we have adopted and communicated to our suppliers and the public a company policy regarding 3TG (the “Conflict Minerals Policy”) for our supply chain.

As indicated in our Conflict Minerals Policy, as part of Knowles’s commitment to social responsibility and compliance with the Conflict Minerals Rule, it is our goal only to use 3TG in our products that does not directly or indirectly finance or benefit armed groups in the DRC or adjoining countries.

 

1


As also indicated in our Conflict Minerals Policy, Knowles expects our suppliers to:

 

   

Adopt a conflict minerals policy that is consistent with our Conflict Minerals Policy and expect their direct and indirect suppliers to do the same.

 

   

Exercise due diligence with relevant suppliers on the source and chain of custody of 3TG consistent with the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas (the “OECD Guidance”).

 

   

Identify smelters and refiners associated with the 3TG supply chain for our products.

 

   

Transition to certified conflict free smelters and refiners.

We do not seek to embargo the sourcing of 3TG from the DRC region and encourage our suppliers to continue to source responsibly from Conformant (as defined on Annex A) smelters and refiners that source from the region. For 2018, we reached out to suppliers suspected of embargoing the sourcing of 3TG from the DRC region, and requested that they not do so.

Reasonable Country of Origin Inquiry Information

As required by the Conflict Minerals Rule, for 2018, we conducted a “reasonable country of origin inquiry.” For our reasonable country of origin inquiry, to the extent applicable, we utilized the same processes and procedures as for our due diligence, in particular Steps 1 and 2 of the OECD Guidance framework, which are discussed below in this Conflict Minerals Report.

Our outreach included 109 direct suppliers (the “Suppliers”) that we identified as having provided us with components, parts or products that contain 3TG or that we believe may have provided us with components, parts or products that contain 3TG.

For 2018, the Suppliers identified to us 264 smelters and refiners as having processed the necessary 3TG contained in our in-scope products, as listed on Annex A. As indicated on Annex A, all of these smelters and refiners were listed as Conformant or Active (as defined on Annex A) by the Responsible Minerals Initiative (the “RMI”). According to information made available by the RMI to its members, 264 of these smelters and refiners sourced solely from outside of the DRC region, including from recycled or scrap sources.

Based on the results of our reasonable country of origin inquiry, we conducted due diligence for 2018. These due diligence efforts are discussed in this Conflict Minerals Report.

Due Diligence Program Design

Design Framework

We have designed our due diligence measures relating to 3TG to conform with, in all material respects, the criteria set forth in the OECD Guidance, including the related 3TG supplements (Third Edition).

Selected Elements of Design Framework

The OECD Guidance has established a five-step framework for due diligence as a basis for responsible global supply chain management of minerals from conflict-affected and high-risk areas. Selected elements of our program design are discussed below. However, these are not all of the elements of the program that we have put in place to help ensure that the 3TG contained in our products is responsibly sourced. The headings below conform to the headings used in the OECD Guidance for each of the five steps. Selected due diligence measures that we took in 2018 are discussed under “Due Diligence Program Execution.”

 

  1.

Establish strong company management systems

 

  a.

We have a team of senior staff responsible for the management and continued implementation of our 3TG compliance strategy. The following functional areas are represented on the team or otherwise involved with our compliance process: financial reporting; internal audit; investor relations; legal; quality and supply chain. We also utilize outside counsel to assist us with our compliance efforts. The executive sponsor of the compliance program is our Senior Vice President – Chief Operating Officer.

 

  b.

On an ongoing basis, selected internal personnel receive training on the Conflict Minerals Rule, the OECD Guidance, our compliance program and the procedures for reviewing and validating supplier responses to our inquiries. We have prepared written procedures addressing certain aspects of our compliance program, including our process for querying suppliers and reviewing supplier responses. These procedures have been communicated to the members of our internal working group.

 

2


  c.

We have adopted a Conflict Minerals Policy. The Conflict Minerals Policy is posted on our website and selected employees and suppliers have been notified of the Conflict Minerals Policy. Our policy is available on our website at https://www.knowles.com/about-knowles/governance/conflict-minerals.

 

  d.

We utilize the Conflict Minerals Reporting Template (the “Conflict Minerals Reporting Template”) developed by the RMI to identify smelters and refiners in our supply chain. The Conflict Minerals Reporting Template requests suppliers to provide information concerning the usage and source of 3TG in their products, as well as information concerning their related compliance efforts.

 

  e.

We are a member of the RMI and of IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries. We actively participate on the RMI’s smelter engagement team.

 

  f.

We maintain responses relating to 3TG due diligence, including records of due diligence processes, findings and resulting decisions, in an electronic format for at least five years.

 

  g.

Our form of Supply Agreement and our forms of purchase order terms and conditions contain provisions relating to the sourcing of 3TG to be contained in our products.

 

  h.

We have web-based and telephonic mechanisms available for employees, suppliers and other interested parties to report violations of our Conflict Minerals Policy. The contact information for our grievance mechanism is as follows: by telephone, 1-855-657-8022; and by web, www.knowles.ethicspoint.com. We communicate to stakeholders the availability of this mechanism for reporting violations of the Conflict Minerals Policy.

 

  2.

Identify and assess risk in the supply chain

 

  a.

We request that suppliers provide us with information concerning the usage and source of 3TG in the parts that they sell to us and their related compliance efforts through the completion of a Conflict Minerals Reporting Template. We follow up by email or phone with suppliers that do not respond to the request within a specified time frame.

 

  b.

We review the Conflict Minerals Reporting Templates that we receive from suppliers against internal written review criteria. We follow up by email or phone with suppliers that submit an incomplete response. We follow up with other suppliers where provided for under our review criteria or otherwise deemed appropriate by us.

 

  c.

Smelter and refiner information provided by suppliers is reviewed against the Smelter Look-up tab of the Conflict Minerals Reporting Template. To the extent that a smelter or refiner identified by a supplier is not on that list, we take additional steps to attempt to determine whether the listed entity is a smelter or refiner.

 

  d.

Smelter and refiner information is also reviewed against the lists of Conformant and Active smelters and refiners and country of origin information published by the RMI. To the extent that a smelter or refiner identified by a supplier is not listed as Conformant by the RMI, we consult publicly available information or information made available by the RMI to its members or request that the supplier contact the smelter or refiner to attempt to determine whether it obtained 3TG from sources that directly or indirectly financed or benefitted armed groups in the DRC or an adjoining country.

 

  3.

Design and implement a strategy to respond to identified risks

 

  a.

We monitor and report on risk to designated senior management on an ongoing basis. Our 3TG compliance team reports the findings of its compliance efforts to our Vice President – Global Supply Chain.

 

  b.

If a supplier identifies as part of our supply chain 3TG that originates from a non-Conformant smelter or refiner that sources from the DRC region, the supplier may be required to instead source from a Conformant smelter or refiner; the Conformant smelter or refiner may include the supplier’s current smelter or refiner if it undergoes an independent third-party audit. As part of our risk management process, we request that the supplier reach out to the smelter or refiner in writing and/or telephonically encouraging it to participate in an independent third-party audit program. For other risks, our risk mitigation strategy allows for a flexible response that is commensurate with the risks identified.

 

  c.

In addition, to the extent that identified smelters and refiners are not Conformant, we seek to exercise leverage over these smelters and refiners to become Conformant through our participation in and support of the RMI. We also utilize information provided by the RMI to its members to monitor smelter and refiner improvement.

 

  4.

Carry out independent third-party audit of supply chain due diligence at identified points in the supply chain

In connection with our due diligence, we utilize and rely on information made available by the RMI concerning independent third-party audits of smelters and refiners to assess smelter and refiner due diligence. We also support independent third-party audits by being a member of the RMI.

 

3


  5.

Report on supply chain due diligence

We file a Form SD, and to the extent applicable a Conflict Minerals Report, with the Securities and Exchange Commission and make these documents available on our website.

Due Diligence Program Execution

We performed the following due diligence measures for the 2018 compliance period. These are not all of the measures that we took for that compliance period in furtherance of our Conflict Minerals Policy and 3TG compliance program or pursuant to the Conflict Minerals Rule and the OECD Guidance. For a discussion of the design of our due diligence measures, please see “Due Diligence Program Design.”

 

  1.

We sent requests to 117 Suppliers to provide us with a completed Conflict Minerals Reporting Template. We followed up by email or phone with the Suppliers that did not provide a response within the specified time frame. We received Conflict Minerals Reporting Templates from 94% of the Suppliers to which we sent a request.

 

  2.

We reviewed the completed responses received from the Suppliers based on our internal written review criteria to identify incomplete responses and specified sourcing risks.

 

  3.

We reviewed the smelters and refiners identified to us by the Suppliers against those contained on the Smelter Look-up tab of the Conflict Minerals Reporting Template.

 

  4.

To the extent that a completed response identified a smelter or refiner, we also reviewed that information against the lists of Conformant and Active smelters and refiners and country of origin information published by the RMI. 264 of the identified smelters and refiners were listed as Conformant or Active by the RMI as of April 18, 2019.

 

  5.

To the extent that a smelter or refiner identified by a Supplier was not listed as Conformant by the RMI, we consulted publicly available information or information made available by the RMI to its members, or requested that the Supplier contact the smelter or refiner to attempt to determine whether that smelter or refiner obtained 3TG from sources that directly or indirectly financed or benefitted armed groups in the DRC or an adjoining country.

 

  6.

Suppliers that identified smelters or refiners that were not listed as Conformant or Active by the RMI were asked to remove those smelters and refiners from their supply chain or substitute the smelters and refiners with ones that are Conformant.

 

  7.

Our 3TG compliance team reported the findings of its compliance efforts regarding 2018 to our Vice President – Global Supply Chain.

 

  8.

In addition, to mitigate the risk that the necessary 3TG contained in our in-scope products directly or indirectly finance or benefit armed groups in the DRC or an adjoining country, we:

 

  a.

conducted training sessions for internal personnel involved with the review of Conflict Minerals Reporting Templates and the management of our compliance program generally; and

 

  b.

as part of our supplier audits, made inquiries concerning policies relating to 3TG sourcing.

Product Information

For 2018, our in-scope product categories were: microphones, receivers, integrated modules, multi-functional devices, ultrasonic sensors, integrated audio sub-systems, transducers, oscillators, capacitors and filters. Not all of our products in these categories were in-scope for purposes of our compliance. For a further discussion of our products, see our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018. The information contained in our Form 10-K is not incorporated by reference into this Conflict Minerals Report or our Form SD and should not be considered part of this Conflict Minerals Report or the Form SD.

Due to the challenges of tracing a multi-tier supply chain, for 2018, we were unable to determine the origin of at least a portion of the 3TG in each of our in-scope products. We have not found for 2018 that any of our in-scope products supported conflict (i.e., contained necessary 3TG that directly or indirectly financed or benefitted an armed group in the DRC or an adjoining country). An “armed group” under the Conflict Minerals Rule is an armed group that is identified as a perpetrator of serious human rights abuses in annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices under sections 116(d) and 502B(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 relating to the DRC or an adjoining country. However, we did not conclude that any of our products were “DRC conflict free.”

 

4


Identified Smelters and Refiners

In connection with our reasonable country of origin inquiry or due diligence, as applicable, the Suppliers identified to us the facilities listed on Annex A as having processed the necessary 3TG contained in our in-scope products in 2018. Due to our position in the supply chain, which is discussed earlier in this Conflict Minerals Report, we rely on our suppliers for accurate smelter and refiner information and our due diligence measures do not provide absolute certainty regarding the source and chain of custody of the necessary 3TG contained in our in-scope products.

We endeavored to determine the mine or location of origin of the 3TG contained in our in-scope products by requesting that the Suppliers provide us with a completed Conflict Minerals Reporting Template. Where a smelter or refiner was identified, we also reviewed publicly available information and information made available by the RMI to its members, to the extent available, to try to determine the mine or location of origin.

Future Risk Mitigation Efforts

We continue to take the following additional steps to enhance our 3TG compliance program and to mitigate the risk that the necessary 3TG in our in-scope products benefits armed groups:

 

  1.

Conduct training sessions for selected suppliers and for internal personnel involved with the review of Conflict Minerals Reporting Templates and the management of our compliance program generally, and otherwise institute measures to help ensure that relevant personnel at our larger suppliers undergo sufficient training.

 

  2.

As part of our supplier audits, make inquiries concerning policies relating to 3TG sourcing.

 

  3.

Reach out to suppliers suspected of embargoing sourcing of 3TG from the DRC region.

 

  4.

Continue to actively participate in the RMI.

 

  5.

Through our participation in RMI committees, encourage non-Conformant smelters and refiners to undergo certification.

 

  6.

Completed a new, more robust information technology solution for the management of data relating to our 3TG compliance program.

 

  7.

Continue to encourage Suppliers that provided company-level information for 2018 to provide product-level information for 2019 through ongoing outreach with these Suppliers.

 

  8.

Engage with Suppliers that provided incomplete responses for 2018 to help ensure that they provide requested information for 2019.

 

  9.

Monitor and encourage the continuing development and progress of traceability measures at Suppliers that indicated for 2018 that the source of 3TG was unknown or undeterminable.

 

  10.

Communicate to new potentially in-scope suppliers our sourcing expectations, including through the dissemination of our Conflict Minerals Policy to them. In addition, as new in-scope suppliers are added, work with these suppliers to help ensure that they understand the requirements of the Conflict Minerals Rule and the OECD Guidance.

To the extent applicable, we also intend to continue to take, in respect of our 2019 compliance, the 2018 compliance steps discussed earlier in this Conflict Minerals Report.

 

5


Annex A

Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined in this Annex have the meanings set forth in the Conflict Minerals Report of which this Annex is a part.

Smelters and Refiners

In connection with our reasonable country of origin inquiry or due diligence, as applicable, the Suppliers identified to us the smelters and refiners listed below as having processed the necessary 3TG contained in our in-scope products in 2018. Please see the notes that accompany the table for additional information concerning the information in the table.

Smelter and Refiner Information (1)

 

Metal    Name of Smelter/Refiner    Country of Location    Smelter/Refiner
Status

Gold

   Advanced Chemical Company   

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

   Conformant

Gold

   Aida Chemical Industries Co., Ltd.   

JAPAN

   Conformant

Gold

   Al Etihad Gold Refinery DMCC   

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

   Conformant

Gold

   Allgemeine Gold-und Silberscheideanstalt A.G.   

GERMANY

   Conformant

Gold

   Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Complex (AMMC)   

UZBEKISTAN

   Conformant

Gold

   AngloGold Ashanti Corrego do Sitio Mineracao   

BRAZIL

   Conformant

Gold

   Argor-Heraeus S.A.   

SWITZERLAND

   Conformant

Gold

   Asahi Pretec Corp.   

JAPAN

   Conformant

Gold

   Asahi Refining Canada Ltd.   

CANADA

   Conformant

Gold

   Asahi Refining USA Inc.   

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

   Conformant

Gold

   Asaka Riken Co., Ltd.   

JAPAN

   Conformant

Gold

   Atasay Kuyumculuk Sanayi Ve Ticaret A.S.   

TURKEY

   Active

Gold

   AU Traders and Refiners   

SOUTH AFRICA

   Conformant

Gold

   Aurubis AG   

GERMANY

   Conformant

Gold

   Bangalore Refinery   

INDIA

   Active

Gold

   Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank of the Philippines)   

PHILIPPINES

   Conformant

Gold

   Boliden AB   

SWEDEN

   Conformant

Gold

   C. Hafner GmbH + Co. KG   

GERMANY

   Conformant

Gold

   Caridad   

MEXICO

   Active

Gold

   CCR Refinery – Glencore Canada Corporation   

CANADA

   Conformant

Gold

   Cendres + Metaux S.A.   

SWITZERLAND

   Conformant

Gold

   Chimet S.p.A.   

ITALY

   Conformant

Gold

   Chugai Mining   

JAPAN

   Active

Gold

   Daejin Indus Co., Ltd.   

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF

   Conformant

Gold

   Daye Non-Ferrous Metals Mining Ltd.   

CHINA

   Active

Gold

   Degussa Sonne / Mond Goldhandel GmbH   

GERMANY

   Active

Gold

   DODUCO Contacts and Refining GmbH   

GERMANY

   Conformant

Gold

   Dowa   

JAPAN

   Conformant

Gold

   DS PRETECH Co., Ltd.   

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF

   Conformant

Gold

   DSC (Do Sung Corporation)   

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF

   Conformant

Gold

   Eco-System Recycling Co., Ltd.   

JAPAN

   Conformant

 

A-1


Gold

   Emirates Gold DMCC   

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

   Conformant

Gold

   GCC Gujrat Gold Centre Pvt. Ltd.   

INDIA

   Active

Gold

   Geib Refining Corporation   

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

   Conformant

Gold

   Gold Refinery of Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd.   

CHINA

   Conformant

Gold

   Great Wall Precious Metals Co., Ltd. of CBPM   

CHINA

   Active

Gold

   Guangdong Jinding Gold Limited   

CHINA

   Active

Gold

   Guoda Safina High-Tech Environmental Refinery Co., Ltd.   

CHINA

   Active

Gold

   Hangzhou Fuchunjiang Smelting Co., Ltd.   

CHINA

   Active

Gold

   HeeSung Metal Ltd.   

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF

   Conformant

Gold

   Heimerle + Meule GmbH   

GERMANY

   Conformant

Gold

   Heraeus Metals Hong Kong Ltd.   

CHINA

   Conformant

Gold

   Heraeus Precious Metals GmbH & Co. KG   

GERMANY

   Conformant

Gold

   Hunan Chenzhou Mining Co., Ltd.   

CHINA

   Active

Gold

   Hunan Guiyang yinxing Nonferrous Smelting Co., Ltd.   

CHINA

   Active

Gold

   HwaSeong CJ CO., LTD.   

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF

   Active

Gold

   Inner Mongolia Qiankun Gold and Silver Refinery Share Co., Ltd.   

CHINA

   Conformant

Gold

   Ishifuku Metal Industry Co., Ltd.   

JAPAN

   Conformant

Gold

   Istanbul Gold Refinery   

TURKEY

   Conformant

Gold

   Italpreziosi   

ITALY

   Conformant

Gold

   Japan Mint   

JAPAN

   Conformant

Gold

   Jiangxi Copper Co., Ltd.   

CHINA

   Conformant

Gold

   JSC Uralelectromed   

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

   Conformant

Gold

   JX Nippon Mining & Metals Co., Ltd.   

JAPAN

   Conformant

Gold

   Kazakhmys Smelting LLC   

KAZAKHSTAN

   Active

Gold

   Kazzinc   

KAZAKHSTAN

   Conformant

Gold

   Kennecott Utah Copper LLC   

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

   Conformant

Gold

   KGHM Polska Miedz Spolka Akcyjna   

POLAND

   Active

Gold

   Kojima Chemicals Co., Ltd.   

JAPAN

   Conformant

Gold

   Korea Zinc Co., Ltd.   

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF

   Conformant

Gold

   Kyrgyzaltyn JSC   

KYRGYZSTAN

   Conformant

Gold

   Kyshtym Copper-Electrolytic Plant ZAO   

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

   Active

Gold

   L’azurde Company For Jewelry   

SAUDI ARABIA

   Active

Gold

   Lingbao Gold Co., Ltd.   

CHINA

   Active

Gold

   Lingbao Jinyuan Tonghui Refinery Co., Ltd.   

CHINA

   Active

Gold

   L’Orfebre S.A.   

ANDORRA

   Conformant

Gold

   LS-NIKKO Copper Inc.   

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF

   Conformant

Gold

   Luoyang Zijin Yinhui Gold Refinery Co., Ltd.   

CHINA

   Active

Gold

   Marsam Metals   

BRAZIL

   Conformant

Gold

   Materion   

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

   Conformant

Gold

   Matsuda Sangyo Co., Ltd.   

JAPAN

   Conformant

Gold

   Metalor Technologies (Hong Kong) Ltd.   

CHINA

   Conformant

Gold

   Metalor Technologies (Singapore) Pte., Ltd.   

SINGAPORE

   Conformant

Gold

   Metalor Technologies (Suzhou) Ltd.   

CHINA

   Conformant

 

A-2


Gold

   Metalor Technologies S.A.    SWITZERLAND    Conformant

Gold

   Metalor USA Refining Corporation    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA    Conformant

Gold

   Metalurgica Met-Mex Penoles S.A. De C.V.    MEXICO    Conformant

Gold

   Mitsubishi Materials Corporation    JAPAN    Conformant

Gold

   Mitsui Mining and Smelting Co., Ltd.    JAPAN    Conformant

Gold

   MMTC-PAMP India Pvt., Ltd.    INDIA    Conformant

Gold

   Morris and Watson    NEW ZEALAND    Active

Gold

   Morris and Watson Gold Coast    AUSTRALIA    Active

Gold

   Moscow Special Alloys Processing Plant    RUSSIAN FEDERATION    Conformant

Gold

   Nadir Metal Rafineri San. Ve Tic. A.S.    TURKEY    Conformant

Gold

   Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Combinat    UZBEKISTAN    Active

Gold

   NH Recytech Company    KOREA, REPUBLIC OF    Active

Gold

   Nihon Material Co., Ltd.    JAPAN    Conformant

Gold

   Ogussa Osterreichische Gold- und Silber-Scheideanstalt GmbH    AUSTRIA    Conformant

Gold

   Ohura Precious Metal Industry Co., Ltd.    JAPAN    Conformant

Gold

   OJSC “The Gulidov Krasnoyarsk Non-Ferrous Metals Plant” (OJSC Krastsvetmet)    RUSSIAN FEDERATION    Conformant

Gold

   OJSC Novosibirsk Refinery    RUSSIAN FEDERATION    Conformant

Gold

   PAMP S.A.    SWITZERLAND    Conformant

Gold

   Pease & Curren    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA    Active

Gold

   Penglai Penggang Gold Industry Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Active

Gold

   Planta Recuperadora de Metales SpA    CHILE    Conformant

Gold

   Prioksky Plant of Non-Ferrous Metals    RUSSIAN FEDERATION    Conformant

Gold

   PT Aneka Tambang (Persero) Tbk    INDONESIA    Conformant

Gold

   PX Precinox S.A.    SWITZERLAND    Conformant

Gold

   QG Refining, LLC    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA    Active

Gold

   Rand Refinery (Pty) Ltd.    SOUTH AFRICA    Conformant

Gold

   Refinery of Seemine Gold Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Active

Gold

   REMONDIS PMR B.V.    NETHERLANDS    Conformant

Gold

   Royal Canadian Mint    CANADA    Conformant

Gold

   SAAMP    FRANCE    Conformant

Gold

   Sabin Metal Corp.    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA    Active

Gold

   Safimet S.p.A    ITALY    Conformant

Gold

   Sai Refinery    INDIA    Active

Gold

   Samwon Metals Corp.    KOREA, REPUBLIC OF    Active

Gold

   SAXONIA Edelmetalle GmbH    GERMANY    Conformant

Gold

   SEMPSA Joyeria Plateria S.A.    SPAIN    Conformant

Gold

   Shandong Humon Smelting Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Active

Gold

   Shandong Tiancheng Biological Gold Industrial Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Active

Gold

   Shandong Zhaojin Gold & Silver Refinery Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Gold

   Sichuan Tianze Precious Metals Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Gold

   Singway Technology Co., Ltd.    TAIWAN, PROVINCE OF CHINA    Conformant

Gold

   SOE Shyolkovsky Factory of Secondary Precious Metals    RUSSIAN FEDERATION    Conformant

 

A-3


Gold

   Solar Applied Materials Technology Corp.    TAIWAN, PROVINCE OF CHINA    Conformant

Gold

   State Research Institute Center for Physical Sciences and Technology    LITHUANIA    Active

Gold

   Sudan Gold Refinery    SUDAN    Active

Gold

   Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.    JAPAN    Conformant

Gold

   SungEel HiMetal Co., Ltd.    KOREA, REPUBLIC OF    Conformant

Gold

   T.C.A S.p.A    ITALY    Conformant

Gold

   Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo K.K.    JAPAN    Conformant

Gold

   The Refinery of Shandong Gold Mining Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Gold

   Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Gold

   Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Active

Gold

   TOO Tau-Ken-Altyn    KAZAKHSTAN    Active

Gold

   Torecom    KOREA, REPUBLIC OF    Conformant

Gold

   Umicore Brasil Ltda.    BRAZIL    Conformant

Gold

   Umicore Precious Metals Thailand    THAILAND    Conformant

Gold

   Umicore S.A. Business Unit Precious Metals Refining    BELGIUM    Conformant

Gold

   United Precious Metal Refining, Inc.    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA    Conformant

Gold

   Universal Precious Metals Refining Zambia    ZAMBIA    Active

Gold

   Valcambi S.A.    SWITZERLAND    Conformant

Gold

   Western Australian Mint (T/a The Perth Mint)    AUSTRALIA    Conformant

Gold

   WIELAND Edelmetalle GmbH    GERMANY    Conformant

Gold

   Yamakin Co., Ltd.    JAPAN    Conformant

Gold

   Yokohama Metal Co., Ltd.    JAPAN    Conformant

Gold

   Yunnan Copper Industry Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Active

Gold

   Zhongyuan Gold Smelter of Zhongjin Gold Corporation    CHINA    Conformant

Tantalum

   Changsha South Tantalum Niobium Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tantalum

   D Block Metals, LLC    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA    Conformant

Tantalum

   Exotech Inc.    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA    Conformant

Tantalum

   F&X Electro-Materials Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tantalum

   Global Advanced Metals Aizu    JAPAN    Conformant

Tantalum

   Global Advanced Metals Boyertown    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA    Conformant

Tantalum

   Guangdong Rising Rare Metals-EO Materials Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tantalum

   Guangdong Zhiyuan New Material Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tantalum

   H.C. Starck Co., Ltd.    THAILAND    Conformant

Tantalum

   H.C. Starck Hermsdorf GmbH    GERMANY    Conformant

Tantalum

   H.C. Starck Inc.    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA    Conformant

Tantalum

   H.C. Starck Ltd.    JAPAN    Conformant

Tantalum

   H.C. Starck Smelting GmbH & Co. KG    GERMANY    Conformant

Tantalum

   H.C. Starck Tantalum and Niobium GmbH    GERMANY    Conformant

Tantalum

   Hengyang King Xing Lifeng New Materials Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tantalum

   JiuJiang JinXin Nonferrous Metals Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tantalum

   Jiujiang Tanbre Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tantalum

   LSM Brasil S.A.    BRAZIL    Conformant

 

A-4


Tantalum

   Mineracao Taboca S.A.    BRAZIL    Conformant

Tantalum

   Ningxia Orient Tantalum Industry Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tantalum

   NPM Silmet AS    ESTONIA    Conformant

Tantalum

   Solikamsk Magnesium Works OAO    RUSSIAN FEDERATION    Conformant

Tantalum

   Taki Chemical Co., Ltd.    JAPAN    Conformant

Tantalum

   Ulba Metallurgical Plant JSC    KAZAKHSTAN    Conformant

Tin

   Alpha    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA    Conformant

Tin

   An Vinh Joint Stock Mineral Processing Company    VIET NAM    Active

Tin

   Chenzhou Yunxiang Mining and Metallurgy Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tin

   Chifeng Dajingzi Tin Industry Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tin

   China Tin Group Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tin

   CV Ayi Jaya    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   CV Dua Sekawan    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   CV Gita Pesona    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   CV United Smelting    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   CV Venus Inti Perkasa    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   Dowa    JAPAN    Conformant

Tin

   EM Vinto    BOLIVIA (PLURI-NATIONAL STATE OF)    Conformant

Tin

   Estanho de Rondonia S.A.    BRAZIL    Active

Tin

   Fenix Metals    POLAND    Conformant

Tin

   Gejiu Fengming Metallurgy Chemical Plant    CHINA    Conformant

Tin

   Gejiu Kai Meng Industry and Trade LLC    CHINA    Conformant

Tin

   Gejiu Non-Ferrous Metal Processing Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tin

   Gejiu Yunxin Nonferrous Electrolysis Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tin

   Gejiu Zili Mining And Metallurgy Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tin

   Guangdong Hanhe Non-Ferrous Metal Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tin

   Guanyang Guida Nonferrous Metal Smelting Plant    CHINA    Conformant

Tin

   Huichang Jinshunda Tin Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tin

   Jiangxi New Nanshan Technology Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tin

   Magnu’s Minerais Metais e Ligas Ltda.    BRAZIL    Conformant

Tin

   Malaysia Smelting Corporation (MSC)    MALAYSIA    Conformant

Tin

   Melt Metais e Ligas S.A.    BRAZIL    Conformant

Tin

   Metallic Resources, Inc.    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA    Conformant

Tin

   Metallo Belgium N.V.    BELGIUM    Conformant

Tin

   Metallo Spain S.L.U.    SPAIN    Conformant

Tin

   Mineracao Taboca S.A.    BRAZIL    Conformant

Tin

   Minsur    PERU    Conformant

Tin

   Mitsubishi Materials Corporation    JAPAN    Conformant

Tin

   Modeltech Sdn Bhd    MALAYSIA    Conformant

Tin

   Nghe Tinh Non-Ferrous Metals Joint Stock Company    VIET NAM    Active

Tin

   O.M. Manufacturing (Thailand) Co., Ltd.    THAILAND    Conformant

Tin

   O.M. Manufacturing Philippines, Inc.    PHILIPPINES    Conformant

Tin

   Operaciones Metalurgicas S.A.    BOLIVIA (PLURI-NATIONAL STATE OF)    Conformant

 

A-5


Tin

   Pongpipat Company Limited    MYANMAR    Active

Tin

   PT Aries Kencana Sejahtera    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT Artha Cipta Langgeng    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT ATD Makmur Mandiri Jaya    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT Babel Inti Perkasa    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT Babel Surya Alam Lestari    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT Bangka Prima Tin    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT Bangka Serumpun    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT Bangka Tin Industry    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT Belitung Industri Sejahtera    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT Bukit Timah    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT DS Jaya Abadi    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT Inti Stania Prima    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT Karimun Mining    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT Kijang Jaya Mandiri    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT Menara Cipta Mulia    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT Mitra Stania Prima    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT Panca Mega Persada    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT Premium Tin Indonesia    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT Prima Timah Utama    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT Rajehan Ariq    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT Refined Bangka Tin    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT Sariwiguna Binasentosa    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT Stanindo Inti Perkasa    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT Sukses Inti Makmur    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT Sumber Jaya Indah    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT Timah Tbk Kundur    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT Timah Tbk Mentok    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT Tinindo Inter Nusa    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT Tirus Putra Mandiri    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   PT Tommy Utama    INDONESIA    Conformant

Tin

   Resind Industria e Comercio Ltda.    BRAZIL    Conformant

Tin

   Rui Da Hung    TAIWAN, PROVINCE OF CHINA    Conformant

Tin

   Soft Metais Ltda.    BRAZIL    Conformant

Tin

   Super Ligas    BRAZIL    Active

Tin

   Thai Nguyen Mining and Metallurgy Co., Ltd.    VIET NAM    Conformant

Tin

   Thaisarco    THAILAND    Conformant

Tin

   Tin Technology & Refining    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA    Conformant

Tin

   Tuyen Quang Non-Ferrous Metals Joint Stock Company    VIET NAM    Active

Tin

   White Solder Metalurgia e Mineracao Ltda.    BRAZIL    Conformant

Tin

   Yunnan Chengfeng Non-ferrous Metals Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tin

   Yunnan Tin Company Limited    CHINA    Conformant

Tin

   Yunnan Yunfan Non-ferrous Metals Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tungsten

   A.L.M.T. Corp.    JAPAN    Conformant

 

A-6


Tungsten

   Chenzhou Diamond Tungsten Products Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tungsten

   Chongyi Zhangyuan Tungsten Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tungsten

   Fujian Jinxin Tungsten Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tungsten

   Ganzhou Huaxing Tungsten Products Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tungsten

   Ganzhou Seadragon W & Mo Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tungsten

   Global Tungsten & Powders Corp.    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA    Conformant

Tungsten

   Guangdong Xianglu Tungsten Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tungsten

   H.C. Starck Tungsten GmbH    GERMANY    Conformant

Tungsten

   Hunan Chenzhou Mining Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tungsten

   Hunan Chunchang Nonferrous Metals Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tungsten

   Japan New Metals Co., Ltd.    JAPAN    Conformant

Tungsten

   Jiangwu H.C. Starck Tungsten Products Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tungsten

   Jiangxi Gan Bei Tungsten Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tungsten

   Jiangxi Yaosheng Tungsten Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tungsten

   Kennametal Huntsville    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA    Conformant

Tungsten

   Tejing (Vietnam) Tungsten Co., Ltd.    VIET NAM    Conformant

Tungsten

   Xiamen Tungsten (H.C.) Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

Tungsten

   Xiamen Tungsten Co., Ltd.    CHINA    Conformant

 

(1)

We note the following in connection with the information contained in the foregoing table:

 

  (a)

The smelters and refiners listed in the table were identified by the Suppliers to us as being part of our 2018 supply chain. Not all of the included smelters and refiners may have processed the necessary 3TG contained in our in-scope products due to over-inclusiveness in the information the Suppliers provided to us and/or received from their suppliers. In addition, the smelters and refiners listed above may not be all of the smelters and refiners in our supply chain, since many Suppliers were unable to identify all of the smelters and refiners used to process the necessary 3TG content contained in our in-scope products and because not all Suppliers responded to our inquiries.

 

  (b)

The table only includes entities that were listed on the Smelter Look-up tab of the Conflict Minerals Reporting Template.

 

  (c)

Smelter or refiner status information in the table is as of April 18, 2019.

 

  (d)

“Conformant” means that a smelter or refiner is listed as conformant with the Responsible Minerals Assurance Process’s (“RMAP”) assessment protocols, including those classified as “Re-audit in progress” by the RMAP. Included smelters and refiners were not necessarily Conformant for all or part of 2018 and may not continue to be Conformant for any future period. We do not have information on the origin of the 3TG processed by any of the Conformant smelters and refiners prior to their respective certification dates.

 

  (e)

“Active” is an RMAP designation that means that the smelter or refiner has committed to undergo an RMAP assessment. Smelters and refiners are listed as Active in the RMAP once they have scheduled the assessment date.

 

  (f)

“Country of Location” refers to the country in which the applicable smelter or refiner is located.

 

  (g)

Smelter or refiner status and smelter or refiner location reflected in the table is based solely on information made publicly available by the RMI, without independent verification by us.

 

A-7


Country of Origin Information

The countries of origin of the 3TG processed by the Conformant smelters and refiners listed above may have included the countries listed below, as well as additional countries. The listed countries of origin are derived from information made available by the RMI to its members. Except for the DRC, the RMI does not indicate individual countries of origin of the 3TG processed by Conformant smelters and refiners. Instead, the RMI indicates country of origin by risk category. Conformant smelters and refiners listed above were in each of the categories below:

L1 – Countries that are not identified as conflict regions or plausible areas of smuggling or export from the DRC and its nine adjoining countries: Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Namibia, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Togo, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

L2 – Countries that are known or plausible countries for smuggling, export out of region or transit of materials containing 3TG: Kenya, Mozambique and South Africa.

L3 – The DRC and its nine adjoining countries: Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

DRC – The Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In addition, some of the 3TG processed by the Conformant smelters and refiners originated in whole or in part from recycled or scrap sources.

Because the RMI generally does not indicate individual countries of origin of the 3TG processed by Conformant smelters and refiners, we were not able to determine the countries of origin of the 3TG processed by the listed Conformant smelters and refiners with greater specificity. In addition, for some of the listed Conformant smelters and refiners, origin information is not disclosed by the RMI. We did not determine the countries of origin of the 3TG processed by other smelters and refiners listed on this Annex A.

 

A-8