China probing Apple suppliers over pollution accusationsAugust 5, 2013 - 11:51 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Authorities in China are investigating two Taiwan-based Apple suppliers — Foxconn and UniMicron — following accusations last week made by Chinese activist Ma Jun and five nonprofit organizations that the companies were releasing water tainted by toxic metals into the rivers, The Next Web reports. Ding Yudong, the vice director of the local arm of China’s environmental regulator, told the Wall Street Journal that local officials are carrying out investigations into the plants owned by Foxconn and UniMicron in an industrial area about 40 miles west of Shanghai, called Kunshan. The plants there are named on Apple’s 2013 supplier list. The probe may take some time, but Ding told WSJ that if the plants are found to be “severely exceeding emissions standards,” authorities will punish the companies involved. Foxconn, the trading name of Hon Hai Precision Industry, is the world’s largest electronics contract manufacturer by revenue, and has taken on most major electronics brands as its clients. It is most widely known as Apple’s largest supplier. According to the WSJ report, Foxconn insisted it complies with emissions standards, while UniMicron said it inspects wastewater daily and has hired a third party to inspect its wastewater quarterly. An Apple spokeswoman said that the company has been working closely with suppliers and one of the environmental groups to make sure that environmental standards are being met, adding that Apple regularly audits its suppliers and will not tolerate violations. Since an initial wave of criticism in 2011, Apple started producing reports and currently maintains a greater level of transparency than most other companies, including those that use Apple suppliers like Foxconn. Last year, Apple also asked the Fair Labor Association (FLA) to “conduct special voluntary audits of Apple’s final assembly suppliers, including Foxconn factories in Shenzhen and Chengdu, China.” However, the company has once again run into problems with its suppliers recently. Last month, a report by China Labor Watch accused Apple supplier Pegatron of “serious” labor violations in three factories, including the employment of underage workers, insufficient wages and poor working conditions. Top stories Yerevan will host the 2024 edition of the World Congress On Information Technology (WCIT). Rustam Badasyan said due to the lack of such regulation, the state budget is deprived of VAT revenues. Krisp’s smart noise suppression tech silences ambient sounds and isolates your voice for calls. Gurgen Khachatryan claimed that the "illegalities have been taking place in 2020." Partner news Most popular in the section | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |