ECA Urges Members to Avoid Tantalum Mined in Restricted Areas of Congo.

Business Editors

ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 16, 2001

The Electronic Components, Assemblies & Materials Association (ECA) has issued an alert for tantalum ore coming from mines in environmentally protected areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

ECA, the electronic components sector of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA), represents many of the U.S. manufacturers that use tantalum ore in their products.

The environmental concerns include allegations of tantalum ore being mined in violation of restrictions in protected areas of the Congo, including Kahuzi-Biega National Park and the Okapi Wildlife Reserve. ECA supports the attached release from the Tantalum-Niobium International Study Center (TIC). The association is encouraging its member companies and the electronics industry to procure tantalum from sources that do not use African ore.

"We believe that our manufacturers can produce excellent products at competitive prices without relying on tantalum ore mined in environmentally protected areas of Africa," says Bob Willis, ECA president.

The Electronic Components, Assemblies & Materials Association (ECA) represents manufacturers and producers of passive and active electronic components, component arrays and assemblies, and materials and support services. It is a sector of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA), comprising more than 2,100 members that represent 80 percent of the $550-billion U.S. electronics industry. ECA members benefit from a dynamic link into a network of programs and activities in areas such as business and technical information, market research trends and analysis, access to industry and government leaders, technical and education training, and others. For more information, go to www.ec-central.org.

                             Press Release

      The Tantalum-Niobium International Study Center (T.I.C.), the
industry organisation representing producers, processors and consumers
of tantalum and niobium around the world, deplores the reported
activities of illegal miners in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park and the
Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
      It was agreed at the T.I.C. Executive Committee meeting in
Brussels on April 3rd 2001 that the organisation would take a stand
regarding the use and production of coltan mined in these World
Heritage Sites.
      Tantalum and niobium are not new discoveries. They have been used
in electronics and other applications since the early 1900's. If you
drive a car, use a cell phone or exchange e-mail on the internet, you
have probably been using tantalum for the past 20 years, on a steadily
increasing basis. Many issues have recently surfaced about coltan
coming from Central Africa and it is important to know that:

      1. Less than 15% of the world's tantalum supply comes from Africa

      2. The T.I.C. will cooperate with other concerned organisations
such as The World Conservation Union (IUCN), the Dian Fossey Gorilla
Fund and The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to preserve these World
Heritage Sites in the DRC.

      Specifically the T.I.C. will

      --Inform all its 66 member companies around the world of the
issues surrounding the illegal activities and their consequences
      --Fully support efforts by the relevant authorities to enforce an
immediate removal of miners from within the boundaries of the National
Parks
      --Encourage major processors to obtain their tantalum and niobium
raw materials from lawful sources in other parts of the world as well
as Africa, and refrain from purchasing materials from regions where
either the environment or wildlife is threatened.

      Tantalum and niobium are important metals with numerous
applications in both high tech and other industries. As the industry
organization, the T.I.C. deplores these unlawful and immoral
activities.