Actions for “Conflict Minerals” Disclosure Rules

The mineral resources produced in Africa’s Democratic Republic of the Congo and its neighboring countries (collectively, the “DRC Countries”*) are critical as materials for producing electronic components. However, these minerals are traded to fund local armed forces, promoting various inhumane acts.

In the light of these circumstances, in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act enacted in July 2010, the US government defined as “conflict minerals” the four minerals tantalum, tin, gold, and tungsten, and finalized the policy of maintaining transparency in trading those minerals, to disrupt the financial flow to the DRC Countries’ armed forces. Nidec, in agreement with the objective of the Act, finalized a policy of not using the four minerals which have been linked to the armed forces, and disclosed the policy on its website in 2011. It works with its customers and supply chain partners to ensure that minerals whose trading may fund conflicts will not be used in our company’s products.

*The DRC Countries are: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, the Republic of South Sudan, the Republic of Zambia, the Republic of Angola, the United Republic of Tanzania, the Republic of Burundi, the Republic of Rwanda, and the Republic of Uganda (according to Article 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act).