Tags: Blog
At SOCMA, we’re committed to staying connected with our members, understanding their challenges, and learning from their innovations. Our SOCMA team recently visited six member companies in North Carolina and South Carolina and gained valuable insight into industry trends, including shifts in product development, workforce dynamics, regulatory challenges, and sustainability efforts.
November 15, 2024
The 2024 SOCMA Summit & Annual Conference, held on October 29-30 at the Emeline Hotel in Charleston, SC, brought together leaders from the specialty and fine chemicals industry to discuss critical trends and strategic planning under the theme "Predictions & Planning."
November 8, 2024
The specialty chemicals industry continues to navigate a dynamic landscape, shaped by a mix of operational, regulatory, and market challenges. These past two weeks I spoke with a cross-section of leaders at SOCMA member companies, and they highlighted several critical trends impacting businesses today, shedding light on how companies are adapting to external pressures and striving for sustainable growth.
October 9, 2024
Have you ever heard, “It’s all about who you know?” This truth has never been more evident to me than in connections I’ve witnessed this past year within the SOCMA membership.
August 28, 2024
In today's evolving political landscape, we face aggressive regulatory environments and significant legal and political shifts unlike anything I've encountered in my career. You have my word: SOCMA is vigilantly monitoring these changes, assessing their impact on our members. Our scope encompasses not only the presidential election but also Supreme Court decisions and the ongoing activities of federal agencies.
July 23, 2024
This week, SOCMA brought members to a White House meeting to advocate on behalf of the specialty chemical industry regarding negative changes to the TSCA New Chemicals Review Program in EPA’s proposed rule.
July 19, 2024
The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued its final rule updating the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS). The HCS ensures chemical safety in the workplace by requiring manufacturers to provide information about hazardous chemicals through labels, safety data sheets, and training to employees. The final rule becomes effective July 19, 2024.
May 20, 2024
SOCMA is disappointed that the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) will not reinstate an exclusion process for chemicals imported from China that are currently subject to a surtax under the Section 301 investigation of China.
May 16, 2024
SOCMA strongly supports the introduction of the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill Reform Act by Trade Subcommittee Chair Adrian Smith (R-NE) with nearly 20 cosponsors, including 17 Ways and Means Committee members. SOCMA has been advocating for MTB reauthorization since 2020 and focused on educating congressional offices on the Ways and Means Committee.
May 15, 2024
SOCMA commends the House Energy & Commerce Committee for holding a hearing earlier this week on EPA’s recently finalized Risk Management Program (RMP) rule. We are pleased that Members of Congress took action based on the educational efforts of SOCMA’s Advocacy Committee and publicly turned their attention to the overly prescriptive program, which creates security vulnerabilities and diverts resources from critical security, safety, and process improvements.
May 10, 2024
