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Sonepar Statement on Conflict Minerals

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September 2022sonepar.comSonepar is deeply committed to responsible sourcing, as an important part of its CSR strategy. We do our best to ensure that our suppliers’ products and components do not contribute to adverse impacts on human rights.Sonepar is committed to acting as a responsible corporate citizen worldwide. We believe that high standards for ethical, social and environmental behaviors are essential, and we expect the same of our suppliers and their supply chain.“Conflict Minerals” refer to raw material or minerals, such as tin, tantalum, gold and tungsten (“3TGs”), that come from a particular part of the world where conflict is occurring and affects the mining and trading of those materials. The U.S. Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, adopted in 2010, requires U.S. publicly traded companies to determine whether 3TGs from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and adjoining regions exist in their products and determine whether they are sourced from a compliant upstream actor. In-scope companies must submit an annual Conflict Minerals Report to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and must make such report available to the public on their websites.Since January 1, 2021, companies operating in the E.U. that are sourcing 3TGs from conflict-affected regions must perform supply chain due diligence to determine if those minerals are sourced ethically and remedy issues as they arise. The Conflict Minerals Regulation recommends that companies follow the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas.Sonepar does not purchase raw materials as it does not manufacture any products. As a result, the abovementioned laws do not directly apply to Sonepar.Nonetheless, being a global market leader in B-to-B distribution of electrical products, solutions and related services, Sonepar supports compliance with these laws and commits to working toward avoiding the use, within its supply chain, of Conflict Minerals. Sonepar suppliers are expected to establish their own conflict minerals policies, to conduct due diligence to ensure that products supplied to Sonepar are free of Conflict Minerals, and to cooperate with Sonepar in its efforts to identify any Conflict Minerals in its supply chain.Statement on conflict minerals