SEMI Warns of China RoHS

Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) is warning its members to take action on China’s version of the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive.

The industry organization in a note to member companies http://dom.semi.org/web/wFiles.nsf/Lookup/SEMI_Alert_ChinaRoHS_3Oct06/$file/SEMI_Alert_ChinaRoHS_3Oct06.pdf has

The original RoHS, crafted by the European Union, came into affect over the summer http://edn.com/index.asp?layout=article&articleid=CA6369885&ref=nbra and focuses on removing six environmentally hazardous substances, primarily lead, from electronics. SEMI warned in its note that: “This [China] law is unlike the European Union’s Restriction on Hazardous Substances directive in numerous key details – do not assume your compliance with, or exclusion from, EU RoHS will result in compliance with or exclusion from China RoHS.”

China RoHS will be implemented in two phase. The first phase will see administrative requirements put in place that necessitate environmental labels and supporting self-declared information in Chinese relating to the presence of six hazardous substances in all “electronic information products” (EIP). China’s Ministry of Information Industry (MII) in March listed more than 1,800 specific parts, components and materials that it considers EIPs. SEMI is advising that all companies that manufacture or import semiconductor and flat panel display manufacturing equipment, components or materials into China check their products against this listing and, if their products are on the EIP listing, begin to asses the China RoHS risk.

China RoHS’ second phase will see a growing subset of products drawn from the MII’s EIP list included in a catalog. Drafting of the catalog has recently commenced, but details on this phase are still being determined. What is known is that the products listed in the catalog will be faced with the same restrictions on substances as outlined by EU RoHS http://www.rohs.gov.uk/ and that these products will require pre-market certification labels. The MII has said not to expect exemptions like those included in EU RoHS http://edn.com/index.asp?layout=article&articleid=CA6369885&ref=nbra. No date has been set for implementation of phase two.

Just as EU RoHS had, China RoHS is expected to have a significant affect on the supply chain. Indeed, chip sales have already slowed in China http://www.electronicsweekly.com/ARTICLES/2006/10/17/39948/RoHS+hits+chip+sales+in+China.HTM, with iSuppli dropping its semiconductor market growth forecast for China in 2006 from 18 percent to between 11 percent and 15 percent from last year’s $37 billion. EU RoHS considerations slowed the growth of China’s electronics exports in Q3, iSuppli said, in telecoms, mobile phones, white goods, televisions and DVD players.

SEMI information on China RoHS can be found here http://wps2a.semi.org/wps/portal/_pagr/113/_pa.113/129.