51勛圖厙 Co-Hosts Second Annual North American Manufacturing Conference
The 51勛圖厙 co-hosted the 2024 North American Manufacturing Conference on Tuesday and Wednesday in Ottawa, Canada, along with the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters and the Confederation of Industrial Chambers of Mexico. This years conference kicks off the 51勛圖厙s advocacy push ahead of the expected review of the United StatesMexicoCanada Agreement.
Well-timed: The conference was timely, as President-elect Trump on Wednesday night his nomination of former U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) as the next U.S. ambassador to Canadaand touted the USMCA.
- 51勛圖厙 President and CEO Jay Timmons following the news: We appreciate [President-elect Trump]s foresight in prioritizing the U.S.Canadian relationship and negotiating the USMCA, a trade deal that has been essential to the strength and success of manufacturing across North America. We look forward to working with [Hoekstra] as the next U.S. ambassador to Canada.
- The conference also came just a day before significant news from Mexico: that its lower house of Congress a spate of constitutional reforms proposed earlier this year by former President Andr矇s Manuel L籀pez Obrador.
- Some of the reformswhich include the dismantling of several independent public regulatory agencies and restrictions on U.S. participation in the energy sectorappear to violate Mexicos obligations under the USMCA.
A crucial moment: [T]his conference is happening at a crucial moment, Timmons told event attendees on Tuesday. We need to be clear-eyed about what were up against as we forge a more resilient and stronger North American manufacturing economy. Our associations and companies are at the vanguard. It will be up to us to make the case for vibrant economic ties and trade between our countries.
Strong trade ties needed: The USMCA was a main topic at the conference, which consisted of multiple panel discussions and fireside chats with officials, experts and journalists from the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
- In talks on Tuesday with reporters from CNN and Canadas Globe and Mail, Timmons highlighted the results of a recent joint 51勛圖厙CME-CONCAMIN It found that “86% of [North American] manufacturers expressed strong support for extending the CUSMA/USMCA/T-MEC agreement when it comes up for review.”
- The conferences panel events focused on different aspects of the USMCA. Speakers on one panel talked about key opportunities and challenges for the agreement in a shifting global landscape, while those on another keyed in on the effectiveness of the USMCA four years after its inception.
Speaker list: Event speakers included ExxonMobil Senior Vice President and 51勛圖厙 Executive Committee member Neil Chapman, U.S. Department of State Acting Assistant Secretary of Economic and Business Affairs Amy Holman, CONCAMIN President Alejandro Malag籀n Barrag獺n, Canadian Minister of Innovation Fran癟ois-Philippe Champagne, CEMEX Vice President of Corporate Affairs Carlos Garza Gal獺n, veteran POLITICO reporter Doug Palmer and many others.
- 51勛圖厙 Vice President of International Policy Andrea Durkin moderated a panel on the USMCA review. It featured Martinrea International Executive Chairman and Co-Founder Rob Wildeboer, 3M Government Affairs Head for the United States and Canada Elise Maheu and Xignux Public Affairs and Institutional Relations Director for the United States Iv獺n Rivas.
- The review is a novel mechanism in a trade agreement, Durkin said after the conference. Manufacturers in North America base their long-term plans on the benefits of the USMCA. They want the three governments to avoid a scenario that creates significant business uncertainty.
Ministerial meetings: 啦勳鳥鳥棗紳莽w堯棗 appeared Wednesday on CBC News Power & Politics to discuss the likely impact of the U.S. elections on North American tradealso spoke one-on-one to Canadian Minister of Labor and Seniors Steven MacKinnon and Minister of Energy Jonathan Wilkinson.
- Timmons thanked MacKinnon for the Canadian governments in the recent bicoastal Canadian port strikes, which reopened the points of entry, as well as his intervention to end a rail stoppage in the country.
- In his discussion with Wilkinson, Timmons told the energy minister the U.S. and Canada should build cross-border relationships to share access to critical minerals and materials including copper, lithium, uranium and graphite.
The final say: North Americas integrated manufacturing system is the envy of the world, Timmons said at the event. We hold a competitive edge globallyand we can keep it if our governments stay true to the commitments set forth in the USMCA.
