Last week Patently Apple posted a report titled “In a Surprise Announcement, the EU Parliament agreed to USB-C becoming the common charging port for 15 Products by Autumn 2024.” Now three U.S. Senators are pushing for the U.S. to follow Europe’s lead.

In a letter to The Honorable Gina Raimondo, Secretary of U.S. Commerce, Democrat Senators Bernie Sanders, Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren stated: “We write regarding the economic and environmental harm inflicted by the consumer electronics industry’s failure to establish uniform charging accessory standards — a shortcoming that requires consumers to frequently change their charging accessories. This planned obsolescence is expensive and frustrating for consumers, and drives the proliferation of electronic waste (ewaste). In response to these issues, the European Union (EU) just passed important legislation obligating electronics manufacturers to adopt a common charger for mobile devices across the EU. We commend the Department of Commerce for the steps it has already taken to address these issues, and we urge you to follow the EU’s lead by developing a comprehensive strategy to address unnecessary consumer costs, mitigate e-waste, and restore sanity and certainty to the process of purchasing new electronics.”

While the letter doesn’t make the direct suggestion to adopt USB-C in the U.S., it stands to reason that referencing the legislation being adopted by the European Parliament and stating that “we urge you to follow the EU’s lead” would strongly suggest that they’re requesting a similar standard.

For more details, read the full letter to Gina Raimondo, Secretary of U.S. Commerce below. 

Letter E-Waste and Charging Chords USB to Gina Raimondo by Jack Purcher on Scribd