For those companies that are required to disclose their conflict minerals status under U.S. SEC rules, the 2014 Conflict Minerals disclosure (SEC Form SD) and conflict minerals report are due on Monday June 1, 2015.

Apple was the first company to file their 2014 conflict minerals report, several months ahead of the deadline. In being first, the Apple sets the bar before some other U.S. electronics manufacturers have even started writing their report. To no one’s surprise, Apple declared that the use of conflict minerals within their supply chain to be conflict indeterminate – this is the last of two years when they may claim this status.

In the conflict minerals report, Apple explains the steps that they have taken and the progress that they have made towards eliminating conflict minerals that directly or indirectly fund armed groups in the DRC. Apple explains that its Conflict Minerals program is driving its supply chain to use only smelters and refiners that have been certified to the Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative’s Conflict-Free Smelter Program (CFSP). The report provides statistics that 199 of 225 smelters and refiners in its supply chain have been verified as conflict free or are in the audit process for certification. This is more than double the number of smelters and refiners identified in 2013.

The main body of the Apple Conflict Minerals Report is less than 10 pages in length. An additional 10 pages is provided for a table (Annex I) listing all of the smelters and refiners that were identified in Apple’s supply chain.