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BRUSSELS – The European Chemicals Agency has proposed 15 new candidate candidate substances of very high concern (SVHC).

The agency issued a release stating a 45-day consultation period would begin today for selection of the next set of candidate substances of very high concern.

After the 45-day period, ECHA and the member states will review comments and decide on the final list of candidate SVHCs, which will immediately be reportable under Article 33 of REACH, in addition to the previous list of 15 substances.

New additions are expected twice per year, says Design Chain Associates, an environmental consulting firm.

For more information, visit http://echa.europa.eu/consultations/authorisation/svhc/svhc_cons_en.asp.

LONGMONT, CO – EMS firm Reliant Manufacturing is shuttering its facility and selling its equipment at auction, CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY has learned.

TIJUANA, MEXICO -- Sony will sell a 90% stake in its LCD TV assembly plant here to Hon Hai (Foxconn) for a reported $121 million, Reuters reported today, citing Taiwanese analysts.

MINNEAPOLIS -- HEI Inc. today reported second-quarter net sales fell 28.8% year-over-year to $7.8 million on lower demand.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – The forecast for North American PCB production is down for 2009, but shows growth resuming in 2010.

World production this year will decline 20% to $40.6 billion worldwide, says IPC. North American production is expected to end the current year at about 15% below 2008, but will start climbing in 2010.

North American PCB manufacturers managed to push sales growth in 2008 slightly above 2007 levels, despite declines in the market for PCBs and PCB production in North America, says the association.

According to an IPC report for 2008, the world market for PCBs reached an estimated $50.79 billion last year, up 1% from 2007. PCB production in North America, estimated at $4.11 billion, was down 6.5% from the previous year.

The North American market for flexible circuits declined almost 10% in 2008 to an estimated $441 million. This decline reflects the loss of some companies and the continued movement of end product manufacturing to other regions, according to IPC.

PCB manufacturers that remain active in North America, however, did better than the market in 2008. Rigid PCB manufacturers reported flat sales growth, and flexible circuit producers reported 17% sales growth in 2008, despite declines in both markets.

HERNDON, VA – The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative today named longtime Intel Corp. engineer Bill Bader chief executive.

Bader replaces Jim McElroy, who announced his retirement earlier this year. Bader becomes the third CEO in the trade group's history.

Bader is a 26-year veteran of Intel. He served as the company’s representative on the iNEMI technical committee from 1998 to 2005.

TAIPEI – Hon Hai today reported a 21% year-over-year jump in second-quarter net profits to T$15.03 billion. Earnings were up 26% sequentially.

The company easily beat previous earnings estimates of T$11.23 billion.

On the flip side, Hon Hai’s contract manufacturing unit Foxconn International reported its second straight half-year loss, as Nokia and others dropped business with them.

For the six months ended June 30, Foxconn reported a 34% year-over-year drop in consolidated turnover of $3.16 billion. The company’s loss was $19 million, down from $142 million last year.

Foxconn was hurt by falling demand for handsets: Shipments have dropped 90 million units to a total of 520 million units so far this year.

US $1 = T $32.915

SAN JOSE – Tessera Technologies’ patents are valid, but were not infringed, according to a preliminary ruling by the U.S. International Trade Commission.

Tessera said it would ask for a review of the decision.

The firm previously asked the ITC to stop product imports from several companies that it says violate three of its patents. The companies involved include Acer, Centon Electronics, Elpida Memory, Kingston Technology, Nanya Technology, Powerchip Semiconductor, ProMOS Technologies, Ramaxel Technology, Smart Modular Technologies and TwinMOS Technologies.

SAN JOSE – Worldwide sales of semiconductors in July were $18.2 billion, up 5.3% from June, the Semiconductor Industry Association said.

AUSTIN, TX — Notebook PCs demand surged in the second-quarter, with sales of netbooks growing 40% sequentially and notebooks up 22%.

LOS ALTOS, CA -- The short-term surge in semiconductor orders are tied to an uptick in electronics equipment demand coupled with depleted inventorie, but reluctant consumers and tight credit will slow any recovery, an industry analyst said today.

ARLINGTON, VA -- Consumer confidence in the overall economy improved in August, as consumer confidence in technology and consumer electronics jumped in the same period, according to the latest figures from the Consumer Electronics Association and CNET.