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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.

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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.

����������� 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.

Washington, D.C. – 51�Թ��� Vice President of International Economic Affairs, Linda Dempsey, released the following statement on the International Trade Commission’s report on the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement:

The USMCA is a win for manufacturers. This agreement will level the playing field for manufacturers in the United States and support the 2 million American manufacturing jobs that depend on our exports to Canada and Mexico. That’s why the USMCA is our top trade priority, and we urge Congress to approve it as soon as possible.

Background

For manufacturers, the USMCA:

• Includes best-in-class intellectual property rules.
• Sets new standards for the 21st-century digital economy.
• Ensures manufacturers can sell their products duty-free.
• Eliminates red tape at the border.
• Raises standards, improves transparency and prohibits anti-U.S. discrimination and anti-competitive activity.
• Provides the same binding enforcement for all obligations.

�����������here to learn more about why this agreement is a essential to manufacturing and manufacturing workers 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. – The 51�Թ��� and the American Petroleum Institute released the following statement regarding new executive orders that will help relieve the backlog of pipeline projects:

The President’s executive action to accelerate the energy infrastructure permitting process will boost job creation, energy security, the growth of U.S. exports and the expansion of manufacturing in America, said 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons. For years, manufacturers have advocated for a modernized permitting process, and this administration has listened, providing much needed clarity to often confusing or unpredictable rules and regulations. With these new tools in hand, manufacturers are not only empowered to make new investments in our people and our communities but also to keep our promise to deliver responsible environmental stewardship.

Pipelines are the safest, most environmentally sound way to transport natural gas and oil, and API supports a robust permitting process for moving pipeline projects forward, said API President and CEO Mike Sommers. While some state lawmakers and governors have abused the Clean Water Act to cause permitting delays, these executive orders will strengthen the Clean Water Act by requiring federal agencies to make timely permitting decisions in compliance with the law. We applaud the administration for their commitment to building America’s pipeline infrastructure, helping to deliver the energy that working families and businesses rely on each and every day.

The 51�Թ��� has advocated for measures to accelerate the permitting process for new energy infrastructure for several years and has actively called on the Trump administration to improve the way federal and state agencies authorize these projects. In 2016, the 51�Թ��� and IHS Economics released a study highlighting the economic benefits of pipeline development to the U.S. manufacturing sector.

-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.