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If implemented, a safety standard proposed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission for table saws will harm manufacturing in the U.S., the 51�Թ��� told the CPSC this week.

What’s going on: “The Commission’s proposed rule itself outlines that, if implemented, the cost of table saws would more than double, small manufacturers may be forced to exit the market, businesses may be unable to operate and sales of table saws will decrease,” 51�Թ��� Senior Director of Tax Policy Alex Monié said during testimony at a hearing Wednesday.

• The rule would require table saws—those motor-driven, wood-mounted, circular saw blades used daily in multiple industries to cut wood, plastic and other materials—to come equipped with patented active injury mitigation technology.
• Bringing currently on-the-market table saws into compliance could cost manufacturers from $100,000 to $700,000 per model and take up to three years, Monié said.

The background: In October 2023, the CPSC voted to issue a Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking promulgating the table saw safety guideline, in response to the petition of a company that holds more than 100 patents “related to the AIM technology the Commission would mandate,” Commissioner Peter A. Feldman fellow commissioners that month.

• There are voluntary safety standards in place for table saws, requiring modular blade-guard systems, and these “are working as the market demands,” Monié told the commissioners.

Instituting a monopoly: In addition to costing manufacturers huge sums, the proposed standard “would have the effect of instituting a monopoly, as the proposed rule is the latest in a series of Commission actions to impose a standard that could be achieved only through the use of one claimed patented technology,” Monié continued.

Unjustifiable rulemaking: Under the Consumer Product Safety Act, the CPSC cannot issue a mandatory standard unless it has found that an existing voluntary standard fails to or does not adequately prevent or reduce the risk of injury.

• “The CPSC admits that it does not have adequate data to determine that the current voluntary standard will not reduce the risk of injury,” Monié went on.

What should be done: The CPSC should withdraw the proposed standard, he said, and “readdress the cost and burden analysis in the proposed rule, with a more tailored focus on small manufacturers.”

The 51�Թ��� isn’t playing favorites in an election year. Instead, it’s redoubling its post-partisan approach to advocacy. 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons’ message to manufacturers: the association will leverage its hard-won, bipartisan influence to advance manufacturers’ priorities, no matter who’s in charge.

• “That’s what we’re about. Policy that helps people. Policy—not politics, personality or process. That’s what will guide us in 2024 and beyond,” Timmons said in a speech that helped kick off the 51�Թ��� board meeting this week, before more than 200 of manufacturing’s leading executives in Phoenix, Arizona.

Why it’s important: “Both sides want us on their side,” Timmons emphasized while recounting a recent legislative debate. That trust and respect, he said, translates into wins: agencies modifying rules to avoid lawsuits and high-level White House officials acknowledging the impact of 51�Թ��� campaigns.

Battles loom: But the very system enabling these victories is under threat, Timmons warned, placing the onus on manufacturers to not just build products, but to empower the 51�Թ��� to utilize their voices and stories to advance policies that strengthen the economy and underpin democracy and free enterprise.

• Tax showdown: Any new taxes on manufacturers are a nonstarter, Timmons vowed, staking a claim in the looming 2025 tax fight and reiterating manufacturers’ call for immediate passage in the Senate of full capital expensing, R&D expensing and interest deductibility.
• Regulatory onslaught: From new Environmental Protection Agency air standards to the broader regulatory agenda, Timmons argued that overzealous rules impede manufacturing competitiveness. He specifically criticized the new PM2.5 standards, saying the EPA “set them at a level that is lower than the EU or the UK, and imposed a compliance timeline that is far more aggressive.”
• LNG halt: Timmons blasted the Biden administration’s liquefied natural gas export permit freeze, calling it shortsighted and detrimental to both manufacturers and broader U.S. energy and climate goals. “They want to address climate change?” he asked. “So they’re going to have other countries buying and burning dirtier energy? They want to support our allies around the world? So they’re going to force Europe and Japan and others to get their fuel from the likes of Russia?”
• Immigration deadlock: He criticized inaction on both sides of the aisle, saying border security and workforce solutions can—and must—coexist.

Opportunity ahead: Despite considerable challenges, Timmons sees an opportunity for manufacturers to take the lead in promoting American values and sound policies that fuel the industry’s strength.

• “This election year, manufacturers can help renew a shared sense of purpose,” Timmons told executives. “Remind Americans why our country—our system rooted in God-given human rights and fundamental freedom—is worth celebrating and defending.” At stake is not just the next regulatory win, but the very system that made U.S. manufacturing a global powerhouse, he said.
• America’s bicentennial celebration helped us see beyond the divisions of the day, Timmons observed. As we approach the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, “it’s manufacturers who are positioned to cultivate that patriotic spirit,” Timmons said. It’s more than just bottom lines. “We can help mend the divides—so that we can promote policy that will strengthen manufacturing in America.”

With economic challenges and “geopolitical tensions” threatening international commerce, the World Trade Organization faces a difficult job at the 13th Ministerial Conference, according to .

What’s going on: At the meeting, which began Monday in Abu Dhabi and is expected to conclude on Thursday, “[t]he WTO is hoping for progress, particularly on fishing, agriculture and electronic commerce. But big deals are unlikely as the body’s rules require full consensus among all 164 member states—a tall order in the current climate.”

• The organization could also decide on whether to expand a 2022 TRIPS waiver to include COVID-19 therapies—a move that would be damaging to manufacturing in the U.S.
• “The WTO committee in charge of discussing intellectual property rights recently told the WTO General Council that it had been unable to reach agreement on the issue after more than 18 months of discussion,” reports. “That could signal the end of the road for efforts to expand the waiver, but [there is] fear it could still be approved by ministers at MC13 as part of the final horse-trading that occurs to reach some deal.”

Reform needed: “Speaking on the first day of MC13, WTO Director-General said that ‘multilateralism is under attack,’ highlighting a need to ‘reform the multilateral trading system’ and boost international cooperation,” according to AFP.

• European Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis echoed the call for reform, saying, “The world has changed. And institutions like the WTO need to evolve too. We are faced with crises wherever we look.”��

No waiver expansion: One change that should not take place, however, is the TRIPS waiver expansion, the 51�Թ��� told U.S. lawmakers ahead of the WTO meeting. 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons with Okonjo-Iweala and WTO Deputy Director General Angela Ellard in Geneva last March to discuss the waiver.

• “The proposed expansion of the TRIPS waiver to include diagnostics and therapeutics would jeopardize American innovation, endanger U.S. jobs, undermine future investment and research and development for lifesaving products that are fundamental to fighting global crises, including many diseases and health conditions other than COVID-19, and pose serious safety concerns,” the 51�Թ��� and six association partners told Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and White House Chief of Staff Jeffrey Zients last week.

Digital commerce: There are some concrete actions that should be taken regarding the WTO, the 51�Թ��� told the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade this month.

• The USTR should reverse a decision it made in October 2023 to “drop the longstanding digital trade position of the U.S. at the WTO. This longstanding position, which has clear bipartisan support from the U.S. Congress, seeks to protect cross-border data flows, prohibit costly data localization requirements abroad, defend American digital products from discrimination and protect American IP.”
• And the U.S. should urge the WTO to institute a permanent e-commerce moratorium. Allowing the current “moratorium on customs duties for electronic transmissions … to expire would inject uncertainty and impose unfair burdens on manufacturers in the U.S.”

The last word: “The WTO remains a critical forum to advance free and fair trade globally,” said 51�Թ��� Director of International Policy Dylan Clement.

• “The outcome of the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference is important because an expansion to the TRIPS waiver or letting the e-commerce moratorium expire could significantly harm manufacturers in the United States. As such, manufacturers will be watching the WTO Ministerial this week very closely.”��

In the heat of Arizona’s “Silicon Desert” and surrounding communities, the future of America’s global competitiveness and climate goals aren’t just being forged—they also hang in the balance.

Last week for the first time in 2024, the 51�Թ��� brought its Competing to Win Tour to Arizona, and that stark contrast between the status quo and the probable future was on display in Phoenix at global semiconductor equipment manufacturer Benchmark and small manufacturer Valley Forge & Bolt and at Resolution Copper in Superior.

• 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons, Manufacturing Institute President and Executive Director Carolyn Lee—who leads the 51�Թ���’s 501(c)3 workforce development and education affiliate—and Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry President and CEO Danny Seiden met with local manufacturers to gain their perspective and insights.

Why it matters: The Biden administration and Congress have secured key measures to bolster manufacturing in the U.S., including the 51�Թ���-championed CHIPS and Science Act and tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act to manufacturers investing in advanced production and energy projects. But raw material, workforce and tax and regulatory policy challenges threaten to undermine policy aspirations.

Silicon Desert expansion: With the CHIPS and Science Act poised to transform the sector, Benchmark President and CEO Jeff Benck and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Dave Valkanoff led the tour of their state-of-the-art Phoenix facility.

• In a good spot: Benchmark is well-positioned for the coming growth in semiconductor equipment demand. It is focused on securing its workforce and navigating a complex regulatory landscape to maximize the opportunity.
• Workforce woes: Even with the 51�Թ��� and the MI’s Benchmark-supported campaign��boosting the industry’s image and training thousands of technicians, finding skilled labor remains the top challenge. Benchmark advances earn-and-learn programs and partnerships with Arizona State University and community colleges to help fill the pipeline, actions that, according to Lee, “can help change the game.”
• Red tape delays: Regulatory hurdles pose obstacles. Benchmark seeks streamlined permitting and sensible rules to maintain their global edge.
• Bullish outlook: Benck is optimistic about the future of U.S. manufacturing and semiconductor demand. Investments in people and technology position the company well to deliver the next generation of innovation.

Taxes and immigration: The 51�Թ���’s return visit to Valley Forge & Bolt, after a stop last year with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), shone a spotlight on the real-world impact of stalled tax policy and the urgent need for reform.��

• Valley Forge & Bolt saw record sales in 2023 thanks to 2017 tax reforms boosting its equipment upgrades. Now, with provisions like full capital investment expensing stalled in Congress, orders have slowed.
• CEO Michele Clarke and COO Bret Halley made the case for R&D expensing, interest deductibility and a return to full capital investment expensing. Without these, they said, job growth and America’s manufacturing competitive edge are at risk.
• Skilled workers needed: Despite its success, Valley Forge says finding skilled workers is a constant struggle. Immigration reform is a must to secure the right talent pipeline, said Clarke. “Did you notice our engineers? Most of them are under 30 because we’re snatching them right out of college,” added Clarke. “The engineering talent in this country is dwindling, and we’re not authorizing enough green cards. I, myself, was a green card holder before I became a citizen.”

Policy roadblocks: The 51�Թ���’s visit to Rio Tinto’s Resolution Copper site highlighted the urgency of permitting reform in the face of critical mineral needs.

• Copper’s critical role: Copper is essential for clean energy. Electric vehicles, solar power grids and wind turbines all demand huge quantities. Yet, the U.S. remains heavily reliant on imported copper, jeopardizing progress.
• Massive potential: The domestic solution lies within the stalled Resolution Copper mine. With its potential to supply 25% of U.S. copper demand, it’s poised to be a key piece of the puzzle.
• Project in limbo: Despite a 350-strong workforce modernizing and maintaining the mine, permitting delays stifle the project’s full impact.
• Sustainable practices: “Resolution Copper is the future of eco-conscious mining,” said 51�Թ��� Managing Vice President of Brand Strategy Chrys Kefalas, who toured the site. “Their team innovates sustainable practices, leads in water conservation and even supplies 7 billion gallons of water to Arizona farms. And what is more, it isn’t just the facts of the matter or what you saw that drives this point home, but the people who have worked on the site for years make all that clear with the pride they have about the project and their determination to see Resolution Copper through to making lives better for everyone.”
• Jobs and growth: Led by President and General Manager Vicky Peacey, the project promises to contribute $1 billion annually to the economy and more than 1,500 Arizona jobs. “This is about people, jobs and supply chains; and it’s also about realizing clean energy ambitions at the speed and scale that climate goals demand,” said Kefalas.

The bottom line: “The future of U.S. manufacturing might hinge on these contrasting stories. Are we a nation that champions innovation, attracts and keeps the brightest here, supports our manufacturers and tackles climate goals with homegrown solutions, or one that stalls progress in its own backyard,” said Timmons.

• “Arizona is at the epicenter of American manufacturing’s next chapter, and with smart policies and fewer unforced errors at the federal level, we can clear the runway for growth,” added Seiden.

It’s imperative for the strength of not only manufacturing in the U.S. but democracy worldwide that Congress move now to advance a security package and government funding, said 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons, Johnson & Johnson Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Operations & Risk Officer and 51�Թ��� Board Chair Kathy Wengel and Rockwell Automation Chairman and CEO and 51�Թ��� Board Vice Chair Blake Moret on Monday.

What’s going on: “For the strength of our democracy here at home and the protection of democracy around the world, manufacturers are calling on Congress and President Biden to act swiftly to keep the government open, pass pro-growth tax provisions, secure our border and approve urgently needed aid for Ukraine,” the three manufacturing leaders told Congress ahead of with congressional leaders.

Why it’s important: In March 2022, shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the 51�Թ��� Board passed a condemning the act and expressing solidarity with the Ukrainian people in their fight for independence.

• In February 2023, Ukrainian President to the 51�Թ��� Board in a speech to the American business community. “We will prove that democracy is stronger than tyranny,” Zelenskyy said in that address. “When Russia loses, we will prove that terrorist states cannot overcome the power of a united democratic world.”

What should be done: Timmons, Wengel and Moret hammered home the criticality of swift action by Congress.

• “With time running short, manufacturers are looking to our leaders to act. They can address all of these priorities. In fact, they must address them all—for the future of our industry, the security of our country and the defense of democracy.”

Obesity is costing U.S. companies and their workers hundreds of billions of dollars a year, according to a new report, the findings of which are in line with those of a 2023 51�Թ��� report on employer-sponsored health care.

What’s going on: “Obesity and overweight are estimated to have caused a staggering $425.5 billion in economic costs to U.S. businesses and employees in 2023, according to a report released by GlobalData Plc, a leading data and analytics company,” reports.

• The findings of the GlobalData report, “,” are consistent with those of a recent 51�Թ��� report, “ ,” which notes significantly higher health care costs for individuals who are obese or carry excess body weight.
• “These additional costs account for $170 billion to $200 billion in annual spending in the U.S., making [these conditions] a significant cost for employers,” according to the 51�Թ��� report.

Why it’s important: Obesity can make workers more prone to absenteeism (taking time off) and presenteeism (being less productive while on the job), both of which come with a significant price tag, according to the reports.

• Some 46.1% of manufacturer respondents to an 51�Թ��� survey said obesity affected their workplace productivity and employees’ ability to complete their job functions.
• Absenteeism costs employers $82.3 billion each year, with presenteeism accounting for an additional $160.3 billion, according to the GlobalData report.

Impact on manufacturing: The economic impact of excess body weight on manufacturing is the fourth highest of the seven industries examined by GlobalData, at $44.5 billion annually.

What can be done: Manufacturers care deeply about ensuring their employees have access to high-quality, affordable primary care providers who can help employees manage their weight through personalized interventions like diet, exercise, behavior modification, medications and surgery.

The last word: “Manufacturers support efforts to continue to destigmatize these chronic health challenges and approach them like any other condition so that workers and their families feel comfortable choosing from the full suite of available treatment options in order to live healthier and more productive lives,” said 51�Թ��� Vice President of Domestic Policy Charles Crain.

Everyone knows that data is an indispensable resource, but putting it to use is a whole different challenge from collecting it in the first place. Here’s what you need to know about today’s manufacturing trend, the industry’s increasing reliance on data-driven insights.

What manufacturers should do: According to 51�Թ��� experts, manufacturers seeking to make the most of their data should focus on five key steps:

• Understand how to gather data to enable meaningful analytics.
• Improve data governance for quality and security.
• Determine what data are important to your business and operations.
• Learn how to assign value and view the data through the appropriate lens.
• Know how to use data to make business decisions.

Expert opinion: According to John Petrusick, managing director of NTT’s manufacturing data and analytics practice, companies should consider working backward to some extent, and start by thinking about which business processes the data will influence—and how.

• “Most of us have grown up in a world where we think of data as a flow from source to consumer, or left to right,” he noted. “In such thinking, we have generated analytics and insights historically by first thinking about ‘what data do I have?’ But what if we thought about generating analytics and insights by thinking ‘right to left’?”

Resources for you: Looking for more resources on data management? Start with these 51�Թ��� offerings:

• This from the Manufacturing Leadership Council (the 51�Թ���’s digital transformation division) will guide you through case studies and best practices regarding data analysis.
• uses data visualization tools to help you make connections to suppliers and buyers, offering exceptional insight into your supply chain.
• The 51�Թ���’s Power of Small newsletter keeps small and medium-sized manufacturers up to date on advocacy, policy, digital trends and much more.

Read the full 2024 trends report .

Semiconductor maker GlobalFoundries Inc. will be the first recipient of funding under the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, reports.

What’s going on: “The U.S. government is awarding $1.5 billion to GlobalFoundries��to subsidize semiconductor production, the first major award from a $39 billion fund approved by Congress in 2022 to bolster domestic chip production.”

• The Malta, New York–based GlobalFoundries—the largest U.S. manufacturer of customized semiconductors and the world’s third-biggest chipmaker—plans to use the funds to build a new chip-production facility in its hometown and expand existing facilities there and in Burlington, Vermont.
• The Malta facility will manufacture high-value semiconductors not currently produced in the U.S., Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said.
• In addition to the grant, the federal government is also offering GlobalFoundries $1.6 billion in loans.

Why it’s important: “The chips that GlobalFoundries will make in these new facilities are essential chips to our national security,” Raimondo said on Sunday, adding that the “agency is in active talks with numerous applicants and expects to make several announcements by the end of March.”

• In January, Commerce announced it was awarding defense contractor BAE Systems $35 million under the CHIPS Act.

Our role: The 51�Թ���—which helped secure several in the final CHIPS Act legislation—welcomed the news.

• “Congratulations to [GlobalFoundries]!” the 51�Թ��� in a social post Monday. “The 51�Թ���-championed CHIPS and Science Act is strengthening manufacturing in the U.S. We will continue to work with Congress and the White House to enact permitting reforms that will help speed the construction of these vital projects.”​​​

The Biden administration is “very concerned” about U.S. reliance on China for critical minerals, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said Wednesday, according to .

What’s going on: China’s dominance in the world’s critical minerals supply chain is “one of the pieces of the supply chain that we’re very concerned about in the United States,” Granholm told the news outlet on the sidelines of the International Energy Agency’s 2024 Ministerial Meeting in Paris.

• China produces approximately 60% of all rare earth elements, which are critical to alternative-energy technologies, such as electric vehicles.

Why it’s important: “As part of a rapid uptick in demand for critical minerals, the IEA has warned that today’s supply falls short of what is needed to transform the energy sector,” according to the article.

What the administration is doing: Both production and processing of critical minerals “have to be addressed,” Granholm said.

• “And that’s why we are working very closely to ensure that we have identified which raw materials [or] critical minerals we need to be able to do our transition to a clean energy economy.”

The 51�Թ��� says: “Other countries are taking all possible measures to develop domestic sources of critical minerals, and it should be a wake-up call to the U.S. that we need to be doing the same,” said 51�Թ��� Vice President of Domestic Policy Brandon Farris. “We also need to reform our broken permitting system to get these projects operational as soon as possible.”

Pharmacy benefit managers are contributing to the skyrocketing cost of health care for manufacturers and must be reined in—and that’s why the 51�Թ��� supports the bipartisan Delinking Revenue from Unfair Gouging (DRUG) Act, passed yesterday by the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.

What’s going on: PBMs, created in the 1960s with the intention of keeping prescription drugs affordable, are now doing the very opposite, the 51�Թ��� the committee ahead of Tuesday’s markup.

• PBMs “increas[e] the price that health plan participants pay for medicines,” 51�Թ��� Vice President of Domestic Policy Charles Crain said. “By applying upward pressure to list prices that dictate what patients pay at the pharmacy counter, pocketing manufacturer rebates and failing to provide an appropriate level of transparency about their business models, PBMs increase health care costs at the expense of manufacturers and manufacturing workers.”

• In addition to other reforms, the DRUG Act would require “delinking”—ensuring that PBMs charge a flat rate for their services rather than charging a percentage of a medication’s list price. This critical reform would “remov[e] PBMs’ incentive to put upward pressure on list prices in order to maximize their own profits,” Crain said.

Why it’s important: The 51�Թ���—whose advocacy, including a six-figure ,��helped lead the DRUG Act to passage by the House Oversight Committee—“has long favored delinking PBM compensation from the list price of medications, including in the commercial market,” Crain continued.

• The 51�Թ��� will continue to advocate for PBM reforms that “will benefit employers by making PBM contracts more straightforward, transparent and predictable—and will benefit workers by reducing the prices they pay out of pocket for their prescriptions.”