JOC Staff | Aug 23, 2012 4:49PM EDT
The Securities and Exchange Commission adopted a rule mandating that companies disclose their use of conflict minerals — including tantalum, tin, gold and tungsten — that originated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or an adjoining country.
The rule, which was mandated by section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, requires companies to provide this disclosure annually on a new form to be filed with the SEC. The first filing will be due on May 31, 2014, for the 2013 calendar year.
Responding to the SEC's action, the National Retail Federation said it is “too soon to determine the full impact of the regulations on retailers.” The organization has argued that it will be difficult for retailers to know the source of metals in products they sell.