TAIPEI -- Foxconn Electronics reported non-consolidated January revenues of $2.77 billion, down 12.1% year-over-year and 24.4% from December.

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WASHINGTON -- Starting yesterday, certain electronics products intended for children will be exempted from the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act lead limit. 

Under the CPSIA, the lead content in electronics products intended for children is required to be no greater than 600 parts per million. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued an interim rule because the Jan. 15 proposed rules would have been finalized after the Feb. 10 CPSIA compliance deadline.

The CPSC’s interim rule and the Jan. 15 proposed rules clarify that lead contained within electronics parts is inaccessible to children. The CPSC is recognizing that lead in a component part of electronics devices is not accessible to children because the lead is fully enclosed within a component that is itself within the device.  Additionally, the CPSC has also exempted the lead content in electronics because it is currently not technologically feasible for certain parts of electronic devices to comply with the CPSIA lead limits of 600 ppm.  

The Jan. 15 proposed rules are expected to become a final rule near the end of February 2009.  For more information on CPSC regulations and guidance, visit http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html.

DANDERYD, SWEDEN – Note AB reported December quarter sales dropped 9.6% to $49.4 million. The operating loss was $5.7 million, and the operating margin was -11.6%.

For the quarter, the EBIT loss after one-time items was $6 million, and the after-tax loss was $4.4 million.

For 2008, the EMS company reported sales of $203.5 million, down 1.8% from a year ago. The operating loss was $452,000, down from a profit of $13.3 million. The operating loss includes restructuring-related costs of $9.5 million during the year. The operating margin amounted to -0.2%.

For the year, the EBIT loss was $1.71 million, down from a profit of $12.4 million. For the year, the loss after one-time items was $1.6 million, and the after-tax loss was SEK $4.4 million. Cash flow from operations was $3 million.

The company is cutting its Swedish labor force by 400, or just over 50%, mostly in the first half of 2009. Worldwide, Note employs more than 1200 staff.

The company is a worldwide Top 50 EMS company, according to Circuits Assembly.

BILLINGSTAD, NORWAY -- Top 40 EMS firm Kitron reported fourth-quarter revenue of $101.5 million, up 23% from last year. The pretax profits were $7.5 million, up 280% from 2007.

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