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Washington, D.C. – 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement on President Donald Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping:

A trade deal, not a trade war, is exactly what manufacturers have advocated over the last year and a half, and today’s meeting brings us closer to that goal. We will continue to seek a new structure for the U.S.–China commercial relationship that eliminates unfair practices and opens China’s market through strong enforceable new trade rules. Manufacturers are encouraged that the two countries will refrain from escalating tariffs further to allow for new rounds of negotiation.

Manufacturers need certainty now. For too long, manufacturers have paid the price while China has reaped the rewards of its unfair trade practices, intellectual property theft and exploitation of existing trade agreements. The effects of tariffs and retaliatory tariffs are further weighing on our confidence and our ability to hire and grow. With a more level playing field, we will be better equipped to reach our full potential.

A bilateral, enforceable trade agreement would be history-making and game-changing for America’s manufacturing workers. As the first business association to call for such an agreement, the 51�Թ��� will continue to work with the administration to ensure manufacturers’ priorities are top of mind as U.S.–China talks continue.

The 51�Թ��� first called for the administration to pursue a bilateral trade agreement with China in a in January 2018. The 51�Թ��� has released a for an agreement that will address China’s unfair trade practices and level the playing field for manufacturers in the United States.

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The 51�Թ��� is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12.8 million men and women, contributes $2.38 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

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Robotic packaging manufacturer JLS Automation received some distinguished visitors earlier this month when Vice President Mike Pence, Labor Secretary Alex Acosta and three members of Congress toured its manufacturing facility in York, Pennsylvania along with JLS CEO Craig Souser, 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons and local manufacturing leaders. The event focused on advancing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which would promote trade between the three countries and is currently being considered in Congress.

At the event, Vice President Pence spoke about the importance of the deal for manufacturers in the United States, noting that Pennsylvania already exports more than $14 billion in goods and services to Canada and Mexico. The vice president also highlighted the impact this deal would have on the more than 2 million American manufacturing jobs that depend on exports to Canada and Mexico—including 42,000 jobs in Pennsylvania, as outlined in the 51�Թ���’s own USMCA state fact sheet. ��One in four Pennsylvania manufacturing firms export to North American partners, as the fact sheet further states, and more than 80 percent of them are small and medium-sized businesses.

Without a free trade agreement, Pennsylvania’s exports to North American free trade partners could face more than $1.5 billion in tariffs.

“It’s absolutely essential we get the USMCA passed by the Congress, and passed by the Congress this summer,” said Vice President Pence. “It’ll finally give American workers and farmers a level playing field that we need to be able to compete and win.”

The 51�Թ��� has been vocal in its support of the USMCA, standing up for manufacturers like JLS Automation across the country that rely on trade in order to keep their businesses running.

“When we talk about growing international trade, we’re talking about something very, very local: strengthening our communities and supporting our families,” said Jay Timmons, 51�Թ��� President and CEO. “That’s why JLS and manufacturers across the United States and the more than 12.8 million men and women who make things in America are calling on Congress to ratify the USMCA – and the sooner the better!”

At the event, JLS Automation CEO Craig Souser emphasized the importance of the Canadian market to his business—a family-run operation his father, Joseph L. Souser, founded—and urged lawmakers to pass the deal.

“We need to see our lawmakers in Washington help to expand our ability to penetrate this market with modern trade policies and pass the USMCA,” said Souser. “The administration has kept its promise to negotiate a new North American trade deal. So it’s time for the Congress and the Senate to do its part so that we can focus on what we do best: make world-class machines.”

In May, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm President Donald Trump’s nominees to the Export-Import Bank board. The board now has a quorum for the first time in four years, allowing it once again to consider deals larger than $10 million. Manufacturers’ attention now turns to securing congressional reauthorization of the Ex-Im Bank.

51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons explains what’s at stake.

The 51�Թ��� is leading the fight for Ex-Im Bank reauthorization. Start with the basics. What does that mean?

Later this year, Congress will have to vote on whether to keep the Ex-Im Bank open and authorize it to continue helping manufacturers in the United States compete for deals around the world.

Why does the Ex-Im Bank matter so much to manufacturers?

It’s a vital tool to support manufacturing jobs in the United States. The Ex-Im Bank has supported��2.5��million jobs��since 2000.��Typically, more than��90 percent��of the Ex-Im Bank’s transactions directly support small businesses.

And here’s something that’s really impressive — the Ex-Im Bank has generated $9.6 billion��for taxpayers��since 1992. It’s a government agency that makes money!

Other countries are running nearly 100 other export credit agencies. So, if we don’t have the Ex-Im Bank, we are at a big disadvantage.

You mention “export credit agencies.” You mean other countries have their own versions of the Ex-Im Bank?

Exactly. And they use those agencies to lure manufacturers to their countries, support their own manufacturers and steal manufacturing jobs away from the United States. That’s not going to change. So, we can “disarm” ourselves here in the United States and let other countries like China have the advantage. Or we can support the Ex-Im Bank.

So this all comes back to China?

Definitely. It helps level the playing field for manufacturers in the United States to compete with China, as well as other countries.

Two of China’s export credit agencies provided $45 billion in medium- and long-term investment support for projects around the world, more than the rest of the world combined. That’s what we have to compete against.

What can manufacturing workers or manufacturing supporters do to make a difference?

Contact your senators and representatives. Tell them to support the Ex-Im Bank and reauthorize it. Let them know that supporting the Ex-Im Bank is supporting American manufacturing workers.

51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons warned today of the grave consequences of the administration’s plan to levy tariffs on Mexico, and ultimately manufacturing workers, to stem migration from Central America.

We share ’s frustration with our broken immigration system. But intertwining difficult trade, tariff and immigration issues creates a Molotov cocktail of policy. Manufacturing workers should not be forced to suffer because of DC’s failure to act on immigration.

— Jay Timmons (@JayTimmons51�Թ���)

These proposed tariffs would have devastating consequences on US manufacturers and consumers. We’ve taken our concerns to the highest levels of the administration and strongly urge them to consider the impact of this action carefully.

— Jay Timmons (@JayTimmons51�Թ���)

Saying that intertwining trade, tariffs and immigration creates a Molotov cocktail of policy, Timmons urged Congress and the administration to work together to find a comprehensive legislative solution on immigration, which manufacturers have offered in A Way Forward.

We’re working hard to secure passage of USMCA…the last thing we want is to put that deal in jeopardy. We’ll keep working on both sides of the aisle for USMCA and our immigration plan but we cannot afford to harm millions with tariffs at the same time.

— Jay Timmons (@JayTimmons51�Թ���)

Click here to read Timmons’ full response.

Washington, D.C. – 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement on announced U.S. tariffs on Mexico:

Manufacturers, like so many Americans and like President Trump, are frustrated with our broken immigration system and by the inaction that has led to a true humanitarian crisis. The answer to our broken system is a comprehensive, legislative solution, which manufacturers have offered in ‘A Way Forward.’ We continue to urge the administration and Congress to work together to address this crisis because the problem will not be solved just by blaming other countries. Intertwining difficult trade, tariff and immigration issues creates a Molotov cocktail of policy, and America’s manufacturing workers should not be forced to suffer because of the failure to fix our immigration system.

These proposed tariffs would have devastating consequences on manufacturers in America and on American consumers. We have taken our concerns to the highest levels of the administration and strongly urge them to consider carefully the impact of this action on working families across this country. Manufacturers have been working hard to secure passage of the U.S.–Mexico–Canada Agreement, and the last thing we want to do is put that landmark deal—and the 2 million manufacturing jobs that depend on North American trade—in jeopardy.

We will continue to work with leaders on both sides of the aisle on immigration reform, just as we are working to continue our hard-won progress on the USMCA. We cannot afford to put the livelihoods of millions of Americans at risk at the same time.

-51�Թ���-

The 51�Թ��� is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12.8 million men and women, contributes $2.38 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Washington, D.C. – 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons responded to the Trump Administration submitting the draft Statement of Administrative Action on the USMCA to Congress:

Manufacturers are firmly behind the USMCA, as is a growing chorus of state and local groups. The North American trading relationship is crucial to the success of manufacturing in America and more than 2 million manufacturing jobs. For manufacturers, the modernized agreement includes best-in-class intellectual property rules, sets new standards for innovation and the 21st-century digital economy, eliminates red tape at the border, improves transparency, ensures we can sell products duty free and much more.

After a promising ITC report, the end of North American steel and aluminum tariffs and real progress in Canada and Mexico, we are moving closer to making the USMCA a reality. Manufacturers want to see this momentum continue, including through constructive conversations between USTR and the Hill, so we can get USMCA across the finish line for the men and women who make things in America.

-51�Թ���-

The 51�Թ��� is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12.8 million men and women, contributes $2.38 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Last year, leaders of Canada, Mexico, and the United States came together to modernize the 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement. The result was the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA – a broad update that was agreed to in November 2018. Yet more than six months later the USMCA is still pending approval in Congress. Comprehensive new state-level data from the 51�Թ��� shows the USMCA’s positive impact, and manufacturers are voicing their support for this deal.

“The USMCA is about restoring certainty, improving the rule of law and expanding our partnerships with our most significant trade partners,” Linda Dempsey, 51�Թ��� vice president of international economic affairs, said. “Not only will its ratification grant manufacturers the certainty they need to continue growing and creating jobs into the future, but it will also expand U.S. manufacturing access to Canada and Mexico and help level the playing field for American workers.”

As manufacturers’ most critical partners, Canada and Mexico purchase one-fifth of the total value of U.S. manufacturing output – more than the next 11 countries combined. These exports support about 2 million American manufacturing jobs and 40,000 small- and medium-sized businesses.

“Passage of this agreement is critical for U.S. manufacturing sector,” said Dempsey. “Canada and Mexico are manufacturers’ most important partners.”

The agreement promises stronger intellectual property rules to protect manufacturing inventions, setting new and improved standards for the digital economy. It expands U.S. manufacturing’s ability to export products abroad, ensuring manufacturers can sell their products duty free and eliminating red tape at the border that often hinders small- and medium-sized businesses seeking to sell their products in both Canada and Mexico. The USMCA also levels the playing field for U.S. manufacturers in critical ways by raising standards, improving transparency and prohibiting anti-U.S. discrimination from foreign governments. The benefits would extend to every state, offering communities across the country opportunities for growth.

, manufacturers are asking Congress to ratify this agreement that improves trade relationships, strengthens the manufacturing sector and benefits the 12 million employees who work in the manufacturing industry.

“Without movement,” Dempsey said, “American manufacturing workers and communities are at risk.”

Washington, D.C. – 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement on the ongoing U.S.–China talks and the implementation of increased U.S. tariffs on Chinese products:

U.S. and Chinese officials must accelerate their efforts to reach a lasting agreement that ends China’s unfair practices, eliminates tariffs and provides real enforcement. These developments should add a greater sense of urgency to the negotiations.

For years, China has refused to play by the rules, harming manufacturers with intellectual property theft and other unfair trade practices. That’s why the 51�Թ��� was the first business association, in early 2018, to call for a bilateral, enforceable trade agreement to help level the playing field for America’s manufacturing workers.

A trade war will not solve our problems. So we look forward to the United States and China returning to the negotiating table to get this deal done as soon as possible.

The 51�Թ��� first called for the administration to pursue a bilateral trade agreement with China in a letter from Timmons to President Trump in January 2018. The 51�Թ��� also testified before the Senate Finance Committee and U.S. Trade Representative on the impact of tariffs and the importance of reaching an enforceable bilateral trade agreement with China. In August 2018, the 51�Թ��� released a full negotiating objectives framework for an agreement that will address China’s unfair trade practices and level the playing field for manufacturers in the United States.

-51�Թ���-

The 51�Թ��� (51�Թ���) is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12 million men and women, contributes $2.25 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Washington, D.C. – 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement after the Senate voted to confirm Export-Import Bank nominees Kimberly Reed, Judith DelZoppo Pryor and Spencer Bachus, a move that will significantly enhance manufacturers’ competitiveness against foreign nations, including China:

Now that the Export-Import Bank is on track to be fully functional again, after a four-year hiatus, manufacturers in America can once more reach their full potential and more aggressively compete against China and others. While the agency was sidelined, billions of dollars’ worth of deals were lost to foreign competitors, resulting in tens of thousands of unrealized manufacturing jobs. Thanks to the leadership of President Trump, Leader McConnell and senators on both sides of the aisle, this self-inflicted damage is now over.

This bipartisan victory will be short-lived, however, if Congress does not act swiftly to reauthorize the Ex-Im Bank before the September deadline. For manufacturers, this is a serious threat looming on the horizon. If Congress fails to reauthorize the Ex-Im Bank, lawmakers will be responsible for slowing manufacturing’s growth and handing countries like China a competitive edge. Now is not the time to squander the historic progress we’ve made in recent years.

The 51�Թ��� has been a leading proponent of restoring the Ex-Im Bank, which has supported 1.7 million American jobs over the past 10 years, to full functionality. In January, Timmons sent a letter to Senate leaders urging them to approve swiftly the full slate of stalled, qualified nominees to the Ex-Im Bank’s board of directors following their bipartisan approval by the Senate Banking Committee.

Quick facts about the Ex-Im Bank:

• The agency has supported��1.7 million jobs��over the past 10 years.
• On average, more than��90 percent��of the Ex-Im Bank’s transactions directly support small businesses.
• The agency has generated��$9.6 billion��for taxpayers since 1992.
• Foreign competitors are stealing America’s competitive advantage by devoting��hundreds of billions of dollars��to official export credit agency financing for domestic manufacturers.
• The agency’s default rate is better than many commercial lenders and far below the 2 percent maximum rate set by Congress.

Click����to learn more about how the Ex-Im board vacancies impacted manufacturers and����for more information about its role as a critical tool in checking China’s ambitions.

-51�Թ���-

The 51�Թ��� (51�Թ���) is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12 million men and women, contributes $2.25 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Washington, D.C. – The 51�Թ��� announced in a letter to members of the U.S. Senate today that it will key-vote Senate confirmation of Export-Import Bank nominees Kimberly Reed, Judith DelZoppo Pryor and Spencer Bachus:

The Ex-Im Bank has been hobbled for more than four years now, unable to consider any major U.S. sales greater than $10 million and unable to implement the reforms still outstanding from the 2015 Ex-Im Bank reauthorization, wrote 51�Թ��� Senior Vice President of Policy and Government Relations Aric Newhouse. Manufacturers in America have lost approximately $119 billion in output as a result, translating into 80,000 fewer American manufacturing jobs in 2016 and 2017. At the same time, nearly 100 foreign export credit agencies supported by countries from China and Russia to Brazil and Germany have been growing to promote exports on behalf of their industries and workers. The Senate must act to reverse this loss and restore the Ex-Im Bank to full operation by confirming Reed, Bachus and Pryor to the Ex-Im Bank Board.

-51�Թ���-

The 51�Թ��� (51�Թ���) is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12 million men and women, contributes $2.25 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.