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Transcript: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the American business community

Official transcript of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s address to the American business community at the National Association of Manufacturers Board Meeting on Tuesday, Feb 28, in Boca Raton, Florida.

Jay Timmons, President and CEO, National Association of Manufacturers:

For more than a year now, the courage and resolve of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine has inspired and rallied the free world to support the cause of the Ukrainian people.

He has reminded us all that the system that makes our way of life possible cannot be taken for granted. Ukraine’s fight is our fight because this is far more than a war between two countries.

It is a battle between freedom and tyranny. So America, and the American business community, stands with Ukraine today, tomorrow, through the end of the war and as Ukrainians rebuild their country after Russia is defeated.

And today, the NAM Board of Directors is honored to welcome President Zelenskyy to speak with us live via video link.

As he shares this address—to manufacturers and to the American business community—we reaffirm this Board’s resolve from a year ago, “denouncing Russia’s invasion.”

We reaffirm our support for the “sanctions implemented against Russia” and for Ukraine’s “fight to preserve freedom and independence.”

And we reaffirm our “commitment … to safeguarding democracy and democratic institutions not only here at home, but also abroad.”

Ladies and gentlemen, his Excellency, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine. Mr. President, the floor is yours.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine:

Thank you so much!

Thank you, Mr. President [Timmons], thanks everybody!

Thank you for your kind words and support!

Ladies and Gentlemen!

I greet you from free Ukraine. Thank you for your attention and support of our struggle for freedom and independence.

I’m sure that none of you doubt that we will win despite. Ukraine is indeed the place where democracy will defeat tyranny. The united democracy — Ukrainian, American, all our allies and partners.

But what will our joint victory mean? This is not a purely ideological battle.

Yes, we will prove that democracy is stronger than tyranny.

When Russia loses, we will prove that terrorist states cannot overcome the power of a united democratic world.

And when we restore our territorial integrity, we will also restore the full power of international law, which is equally important for everyone in the world.

However, the battle is for much more, and there will be more winners in it.

The human nature is yet another battlefield where the confrontation continues right now.

In the world, will that creativity of the human mind be more successful in solving good or evil?

What will give more prospects, hard work or complicity in making money from the aggression?

This confrontation is going on right now. And that is why right now we are calling on all businesses to come to Ukraine and to leave the Russian market.

It is obvious that post-hostilities, reconstruction of Ukraine will give an extraordinary moral advantage to all businesses that will be in.

And it is also obvious that every business that is now helping the Russian tyranny in any way will not be able to avoid problems and their reputation crisis.

The American business has every opportunity to take on leadership positions both in the reconstruction of the Ukrainian economy and infrastructure, and in demonstrating to the world that human nature should serve worthy goals and that it produces, and will always produce, the best result.

The Ukrainian life will inevitably get a new start after this war.

We need to rebuild the energy system of Ukraine based on new security principles.

It is in Ukraine that we will combine green transformation with security transformation and create an example for the same transformation in other countries, such as to protect a specific country from any aggression against the energy industry.

And such that protects all humanity under that framework of a smart climate policy. For example, on the virtual power plants market, 7 out of 15 key companies are American.

This is the experience that Ukraine needs.

Ukraine is an opportunity that will give a historic impulse to the entire industry — solar power plants, wind power plants, small hydroelectric power plants, biomass burning plants.

Our modernized and centralized energy system is a project worth hundreds of billions of dollars and with the potential of replication for other nations.

We need to restore hundreds of thousands of industry, infrastructure and social facilities, residential buildings, whole cities’ industries.

This is a colossal task but realistic. Ukraine is interested in projects to create a full production cycle of titanium, lithium, aluminum and ferrous metals.

Ukrainian oil refineries, which were destroyed by Russia missile strikes, and the capacious domestic market provide the opportunity to restore this industry on a modern technological basis.

Machine building in Ukraine, agricultural processing in Ukraine, weapons production in Ukraine, including modern drones–IT in Ukraine, infrastructure and transport in Ukraine, a localization of business in Ukraine, convenient logistics with other markets from Ukraine, human capital of Ukraine.

All these are not just investment opportunities, not just industries and not just growth. This is a wide space for victories. Your victories, American business.

And I urge you to prepare for these victories now, to come to Ukraine now so that by the time we restore peace, your hard work has already yielded results.

And I believe that it will be soon. Thank you for your attention. I invite all of you to Ukraine. Glory to our brave soldiers. Glory to Ukraine.

Jay Timmons, President and CEO, National Association of Manufacturers:

Mr. President, your leadership is not only inspiring your people in face of the unspeakable, but also inspiring us. It is inspiring the world.

Manufacturers in America will continue to stand with Ukraine, and we will be there after Russia is defeated so that we can help you and your people build a stronger nation forever rooted in our shared democratic values.

And, I want the Board to know that at President Zelenskyy’s request, we will be sharing the video of his remarks with our members so that they too can hear his powerful words.

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Policy and Legal

“Competing to Win” Comes to Louisiana

Few things are more quintessentially Louisianan than seafood and Tabasco sauce, and on the third stop of the NAM’s Competing to Win Tour on Thursday, NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons got to spend some time with both.

The first stop: Laitram LLC, the Harahan, Louisiana–based manufacturing leader in seafood and nuts processing equipment, played host to Timmons, Louisiana Rep. Garret Graves (recently tapped by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as Elected Leadership Committee chair) and Louisiana Association of Business and Industry President and CEO Stephen Waguespack.

  • Laitram President and CEO Jay Lapeyre (who also serves as chairman of the Cato Institute Board of Directors) and his team led the group through a facility tour of Intralox, a subsidiary of Laitram specializing in conveyer belts and equipment that improve productivity, food safety and reliability in high-speed package sorting.
  • Timmons, Rep. Graves and Waguespack spoke with line employees across the facility, and Timmons was impressed by the company’s successes in employee retention: “Nearly everyone I met had been there a decade or more … One team member recently marked 46 years with the company,” he noted afterward.

Talking policy: Timmons moderated a roundtable discussion on manufacturing policy opportunities and challenges with Laitram’s senior staff, Rep. Graves and Waguespack after the tour.

  • Lapeyre and his team expressed concerns about pass-through tax rates, which impact Laitram given that it is an S-Corp. They also raised alarms about the recent phaseout of pro-growth tax deductions for research and development and bonus depreciation.
  • Trade emerged as a top priority for Laitram and its global enterprise, and Lapeyre also shared his perspective on the need for more regulatory certainty, particularly in the light of a potential new rule from the Federal Trade Commission limiting the use of noncompete agreements.
  • Meanwhile, Rep. Graves emphasized the continued importance of protecting tax reform and pointed to ongoing efforts in Congress to advance permitting reform.

The second stop: The NAM team then headed to Avery Island, about two hours outside of New Orleans, where they visited McIlhenny Company, the maker of the iconic red-and-green-bottled Tabasco pepper sauce.

  • Timmons was given a full tour of the 155-year-old company’s facilities, which included stops at the manufacturer’s barrel-aging warehouse, blending facility, bottling and packing plant and its onsite restaurant.
  • McIlhenny Chief Operating Officer Michael Terrell—a fourth-generation employee of the company—and Agricultural Manager Christian Brown—a sixth-generation employee—guided the tour around the facility, which showed off some of the manufacturer’s recent bottling-plant innovations. These included label readers, case packers and a packet line, as well as several sustainability initiatives.

The last word: As Timmons said at the outset of the competitiveness tour, “The story of manufacturing in America is one of resilience and defying the odds. All manufacturers ask is that in Washington, when it comes to policy, don’t stack those odds against us.”

Policy and Legal

Manufacturers in the U.S. Stand with Ukraine

Manufacturers in the U.S. are united with their counterparts in Ukraine as that country continues to grapple with the destruction caused by Russia’s invasion.

That was the message of “Rebuilding Ukraine: Inaugural Conference of Manufacturers in the U.S. and Ukraine,” an event that took place yesterday thanks to the partnership between the NAM and the Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.

The background: In March 2022, in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the NAM Board of Directors voted unanimously in support of a resolution denouncing the invasion and supporting the people of Ukraine.

  • In addition to affirming shared values of freedom and independence, the resolution expressed support for economic and financial sanctions against Russia, demanded removal of Russia from the World Trade Organization and called for the end of normalized trade between Russia and the U.S.
  • In the months since the invasion, the NAM has stood consistently with Ukraine and supported actions against Russia.

The conference: Led by NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons and ULIE President Anatolii Kinakh, the conference included representatives from a diverse range of companies from both countries, who spoke to the challenges ahead and the need to support Ukraine as it rebuilds. The event also featured opening remarks from Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova and other senior Ukrainian government officials.

  • Manufacturers in the U.S. described the support they have provided for Ukraine—from financial and technology support to equipment and humanitarian aid—and laid out areas in which they would like to continue to partner with Ukraine. These included R&D and university collaborations and sourcing for products and personnel.
  • Ukrainian officials laid out urgent needs for their country, including rebuilding infrastructure, strengthening logistics and supporting areas such as clean energy, education and workforce training.

The result: The NAM and ULIE signed a Memorandum of Understanding that laid out common values and mutual goals.

  • The organizations affirmed their shared “commitment to democratic values, the rule of law and the furtherance of democracy, freedom and opportunity for our citizens and other countries around the world.”
  • The two groups agreed to create a “framework” to help explore areas of collaboration in business, trade and economic relations.
  • The NAM and ULIE identified a series of steps the organizations can take to increase cooperation, from sharing information about each other’s services and activities to promoting visits between representatives and creating additional joint meetings and conferences.

What they’re saying: “Manufacturers have demonstrated their unwavering support for Ukraine and denounced Russian aggression,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “Manufacturers in the U.S. have a long and proud history of standing firm in support of democracy, the rule of law, transparency, freedom and opportunity. We stand with President Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian government and the Ukrainian people as they defend those values today and as they work to rebuild their country in the years ahead.”

Said Kinakh: “This is the first business conference of Ukraine and the U.S. on such a scale. In our view, it will enable our partners in the U.S. to learn about the true situation in Ukraine, the business climate and our priorities. It will be the basis to shape direct ties, common interests and business plans that will boost economic activities of Ukraine.”

Business Operations

How Manufacturers and Suppliers Can Find Each Other

With supply chains in flux across the country and around the world, manufacturers frequently face obstructions that can hold up their operations and delay critical deliveries.

That’s where CONNEX Marketplace can help.

What it is: Built in collaboration with the NAM, manufacturers and other manufacturing associations, CONNEX Marketplace is a one-stop shop that brings together U.S. manufacturers and suppliers in one clear, verified and searchable database—offering a full picture of the supply chain and helping manufacturers and suppliers find the partners they need.

Why it matters: Especially at a time when supply chains are increasingly complex and constantly under strain, it’s important for manufacturers to understand the full journey of their products.

  • By providing manufacturers with detailed data visualization tools as well as blacklist verification, CONNEX helps manufacturers reduce risks in their supply chains and avoid problematic routes and purchases.

How it works: Comprehensive local and national search tools offer manufacturers the opportunity to post their needs and to connect easily and quickly with suppliers using criteria including capabilities, equipment, processes and materials.

  • By matching needs with available supplies, the site also helps manufacturers find alternate suppliers when necessary and improve the diversity and resiliency of their supply chains to guard against shocks and snags.

Governors support it: State leaders across the country are speaking up about the power of CONNEX, laying out the value of the program and urging manufacturers to get involved.

  • “I think what you’re hearing here with CONNEX … you’re hearing the doors opening on great opportunities for Wyoming,” said Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon. “It’s gonna expand our footprint regionally, nationally and globally.”
  • CONNEX “better connects the Utah manufacturing industry, shortens and reduces supply chain costs and provides new business opportunities to Utah manufacturers and suppliers,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox.
  • “CONNEX is hugely important,” said Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt. “We’re trying to get everyone to look on this CONNEX website.… If you’re not on that and you’re a manufacturer in Oklahoma, we encourage you to engage with that.”

What we’re saying: “This one-of-a-kind tool empowers manufacturers of all sizes, both buyers and sellers, to be found, increase supply chain optimization and mitigate risk,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “It’s a game-changer for U.S. manufacturers.”

Policy and Legal

NAM Pushes for a Robust U.S. Trade Agenda

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The negotiation and implementation of robust, new trade agreements are an essential part of a manufacturing competitiveness agenda. As we head into a new year, the NAM is pressing for the kind of strong rules and partnerships the industry needs.

Forging new trade agreements: The NAM is urging policymakers to negotiate a series of substantial new trade pacts that strengthen trade ties with U.S. allies and other trading partners and expand on open trade in general. Important initiatives include:

  • Negotiating regional accords, including the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity, which support manufacturing jobs in the U.S. by including key provisions that open markets, strengthen U.S. innovation and technology leadership, raise global standards and establish best-in-class trade rules; and
  • Reengaging in trade agreement talks with the United Kingdom and Kenya and exploring trade agreements with additional markets in Latin America, Africa and beyond.

Enforcing existing pacts: The NAM is also pressing for the comprehensive enforcement of existing U.S. trade agreements—including the full implementation of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement and the U.S.–China “Phase One” Trade Agreement. As a strong supporter and advocate for the USMCA, the NAM is advocating the reversal of Mexican and Canadian policies that are against the letter and spirit of the agreement.

  • In June, NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons laid out a series of challenges that manufacturers in the U.S. are facing in Mexico, telling the Biden administration: “Failure to prioritize enforcement of these commercial challenges will undermine the long-term credibility of the USMCA.”

Implementing a comprehensive China trade strategy: The NAM has long advocated for a comprehensive strategy for the U.S. trade relationship with China. While the U.S. and China have moved forward with important conversations, the  Biden administration should implement a clear China trade and economic strategy that can strengthen our ability to compete economically with and in China, as well as hold China accountable for its behaviors.

  • “The U.S. must develop, and strategically use, a full playbook of legislative and enforcement tools to pressure China to stop its discriminatory economic policies and level the playing field for manufacturers and workers in the U.S.,” NAM Vice President of International Economic Affairs Ken Monahan told the Office of the United States Trade Representative in September.
  • Monahan also urged the immediate launch of a “comprehensive, transparent and robust Section 301 tariff exclusion process with meaningful retroactivity” to ensure that such measures aren’t undermining efforts to strengthen manufacturing in the U.S.

Next steps: “Manufacturers need open global markets to ensure that we benefit from the same principles that we seek here at home: nondiscrimination, fairness, equal opportunity and competition,” said Monahan. “As we look to 2023 and beyond, the forging of ambitious new U.S. trade agreements, robust enforcement of our existing accords and the implementation of a comprehensive U.S. trade strategy toward China will be vital as we advance that agenda.”

Policy and Legal

What Manufacturers Want on Trade Policy

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cargo unloaded at port of Los Angeles

Manufacturers of all sizes must be able to compete in a global economy—and that means selling not just to consumers in the U.S., but also to the billions of consumers who live around the world. That’s why the NAM is standing up for a robust U.S. trade policy that advances strong rules and partnerships that promote open markets, improve competitiveness, increase business predictability and boost manufacturers’ ability to reach new customers abroad.

Our priorities: The NAM is interested in a U.S. trade agenda that supports open global markets so that manufacturers can benefit globally from the same principles that we value at home: nondiscrimination, fairness, equal opportunity and competition.

  • It is also focused on pushing back against foreign practices that harm manufacturers and their employees in the U.S. and holding countries like China accountable. Ultimately, the NAM is committed to improving U.S. global competitiveness, supporting innovation, growing the economy and strengthening the industrial base.

Our solutions: To accomplish these goals, the NAM has offered a series of solutions for national policymakers and other leaders, including:

  • Implementing the CHIPS and Science Act and pursuing additional legislation to strengthen supply chains and support a STEM workforce;
  • Negotiating cutting-edge trade agreements and enforcing existing trade rules;
  • Comprehensively enforcing existing U.S. trade agreements, including full implementation of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement;
  • Standing firm in support of strong global intellectual property protections;
  • Accelerating efforts toward a clear, comprehensive U.S.–China strategy that promotes fairness, accountability, enforcement and business certainty;
  • Reforming international trade rules and institutions, such as the World Trade Organization;
  • Bolstering U.S. export promotion and financing tools and reforming export control policies;
  • Modernizing customs operations to cut red tape; and
  • Updating the U.S. tariff code, including through enactment of the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill.

What we’re saying: “Manufacturers believe that strong U.S. global economic leadership and engagement with our allies—including by forging strong, enforceable U.S. trade agreements—are critical to tackling shared global challenges, expanding export opportunities, diversifying sources for trade, ensuring supply chain resiliency and promoting American values,” said NAM Vice President of International Economic Affairs Ken Monahan.

  • “Without such trade deals, manufacturers in the U.S. risk being left behind our global competitors, many of whom are actively negotiating new agreements that exclude us. The time is now for the U.S. to get back in the game.”

Learn more: Find out more about the NAM’s priorities around trade in “Competing to Win”—a blueprint for policies that support manufacturing in America.

Policy and Legal

NAM VP Monahan Talks International Economics

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As the manufacturing industry grapples with disruptive forces in the U.S. and around the world, companies are looking for more certainty and opportunity.

NAM Vice President of International Economic Affairs Ken Monahan spoke about these issues with UPS President of International Public Affairs Penelope Naas in a panel discussion during the UPS Supply Chain Solutions virtual conference on Oct. 5.

The big idea: “Manufacturers of all sizes must be able to compete in a global economy by selling not just to consumers in the U.S., but also to billions of consumers globally,” said Monahan.

  • “For us, international economic growth is core to our DNA—and it is absolutely critical that we increase opportunities for those 95% of the global population that lives outside of the U.S.”
  • The NAM emphasized these broad priorities in its just-released “Competing to Win” policy agenda. 

The challenge: “We’ve just seen wave after wave of supply chain disruptions, and the impact that that’s happening on the ability of manufacturers to operate and engage not just in the U.S. but globally,” said Monahan. “In a recent quarterly survey [of NAM members], 78% of our leaders listed supply chain instructions as a primary business challenge.”

  • According to Monahan, the global nature of manufacturing underscores “the importance of our industry working to ease the types of global supply chain bottlenecks that are impacting so many businesses around the world … easing uncertainty and … knocking down unfair trade barriers that continue to stymie the growth of economic activity globally.”

Problems and solutions: Monahan named COVID-19, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and disclosure requirements that require more scrutiny of supply chains as key factors impacting manufacturers—and emphasized the need for diverse sources of products to ensure supply chain resiliency in the future.

Building partnerships: Monahan pointed to the importance of robust trade agreements and partnerships with economic allies to secure resilient supply chains and promote fair competition.

  • “When it comes to trade, we need to think through ways in which we can deepen our partnerships with our friends and allies,” said Monahan. That means “seeking trade agreements and cutting-edge, best-in-class frameworks with our trading partners to encourage increasing standards to U.S. levels.”

Monahan also noted a series of ongoing U.S. efforts with global trading partners, including in the Indo-Pacific region, Europe, the Americas and Kenya. He made clear that the NAM is working to promote new agreements that open markets, strengthen U.S. innovation and technology standards and increase global standards around trade rules, among other priorities.

  • Such U.S. global engagement is “demonstrating to manufacturers that the U.S. is back on the field,” said Monahan. “But at every opportunity, we are pushing the administration to think bigger, be even more ambitious and take this opportunity in front of it.”

Promoting transparency: Monahan spoke about the importance of manufacturers’ insight into their supply chains.

  • “Companies need to be knowledgeable about as many tiers of their supply chains as possible and have strong due diligence and compliance programs in place to ensure to the maximum extent possible that goods are not being sourced or sold to entities that use forced labor or are on various export control lists,” he said.

The last word: “We need to be able to really put forward and advance the same principles globally that we do here at home as manufacturers: nondiscrimination, fairness, equal opportunity and competition,” said Monahan. “We are at our best when we are advancing those priorities globally and in the U.S.”

Press Releases

Manufacturers Urge Reversal of Mexico’s Unfair Energy Policies

Washington, D.C. – Following the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s announcement that the U.S. has requested consultations under the U.S.–Mexico–Canada Agreement over Mexico’s energy policies, National Association of Manufacturers Vice President of International Economic Affairs Ken Monahan released the following statement:

“This bold action from the Biden administration and Ambassador Katherine Tai is critical to stemming measures implemented and proposed by the government of Mexico that contradict the letter and spirit of the USMCA and undermine the rule of law in Mexico.

“Energy and electric power generation measures implemented by Mexico have favored dramatically the interests of Mexico’s state-owned electrical utility and state-owned oil and gas company. This adds costs for manufacturers that rely on existing contracts with energy suppliers and makes it harder for them to meet long-term sustainability goals in Mexico, while also slowing the deployment of renewable energy in Mexico.

“Manufacturers welcome the news that the U.S. has requested dispute settlement consultations with Mexico under the USMCA. We stand ready to work with USTR to quickly reverse Mexico’s unfair energy policies and to address the many other industry challenges in Mexico.”

Background:

On June 30, NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons detailed for President Biden a wide range of market access, regulatory and other commercial challenges in Mexico faced by manufacturers. Timmons underscored that “failure to prioritize enforcement of these commercial challenges will undermine the long-term credibility of the USMCA.”

-NAM-

The National Association of Manufacturers 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 $2.77 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 58% of private-sector research and development. The NAM 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 NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Press Releases

Manufacturers Back Chips Bill, Call for Further Action from Congress

Timmons: “A vote for the CHIPS Act funding is a vote for a stronger, more competitive manufacturing industry in America.”

Washington, D.C. – Ahead of consideration of legislation to bolster U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement:

“A vote for the CHIPS Act funding is a vote for a stronger, more competitive manufacturing industry in America. But if Congress fails to pass this investment in the coming days, they will hand other countries a competitive advantage and weaken our own economy at a precarious moment.

“Other provisions of the China competition bill still under negotiation also need to make it to the president’s desk, and manufacturers firmly support their inclusion in this package. We will continue our advocacy for the anti-counterfeiting measures, trade provisions, supply chain investments and more. Congress must get those done.

“This week, we can take a powerful step forward with chips funding and move toward a future where semiconductor shortages—and the disruptions they’ve created—are a thing of the past. Other nations are not waiting around to ramp up semiconductor manufacturing. America should be leading, not falling behind.”

Background:

According to the NAM’s latest Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey, more than 88% of respondents said it was important for the federal government to take steps to support the domestic manufacturing sector in the face of increased global competition for industrial investment, with nearly 58% saying “very important” and 30.7% saying “somewhat important.” When asked about what aspects of the China competition legislation were most important for supporting manufacturing activity, the top choices were addressing port congestion and competition issues in ocean shipping (70.9%), eliminating ill-conceived labor provisions that facilitate unionization campaigns (61.3%), strengthening U.S. leadership in energy innovation and competitiveness (58.2%), funding to increase domestic semiconductor production capacity (57.9%), investments to support the critical minerals supply chain (55.7%) and ensuring the tax code provides a full deduction for research expenses (48.3%), among others.

-NAM-

The National Association of Manufacturers 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 $2.77 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 58% of private-sector research and development. The NAM 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 NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Press Releases

North American Manufacturing Industry Statement on the Two-Year Anniversary of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

Washington, D.C. – The leading organizations representing manufacturers and millions of manufacturing workers in the United States, Mexico and Canada released the following statement on the two-year anniversary of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA/T-MEC/CUSMA):

“On this two-year anniversary, we recognize the substantial value that this agreement and the North American Free Trade Agreement have represented for our industry’s competitiveness, our economies and North American workers. Manufacturing is critical for the entire North American economy. Our closely integrated supply chains contribute more than $3 trillion annually to the North American economy, and more than $2 billion worth of manufactured goods cross our borders each day.

“The USMCA can only reach its full potential if it is fully implemented in a manner that upholds its letter and spirit. That is why manufacturers across North America continue to strongly and respectfully urge political leaders to work together to live up to the commitments of the agreement, which garnered broad support in all three countries. Full compliance with the agreement will provide certainty for the more than 23 million manufacturing workers in the United States, Mexico and Canada and boost our region’s ability to compete with the rest of the world.

“The Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME), the Confederation of Industrial Chambers of Mexico (CONCAMIN) and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) reiterate our longstanding commitment to engage with the Canadian, Mexican and U.S. governments to ensure that the USMCA/T-MEC/CUSMA is fully implemented and that it supports our industry’s competitiveness and our workers at this critical time for our economies.”

Background: Earlier this week NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons wrote to President Biden about certain challenges in U.S.-Mexico trade relations.

 

-NAM-

The National Association of Manufacturers 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 12.7 million men and women, contributes $2.71 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 58% of private-sector research and development. The NAM 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. 

 

-CME-

Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) is Canada’s largest trade and industry association, and the voice of manufacturing and global business in Canada. CME directly represents more than 10,000 leading companies nationwide. As Canada’s leading business network, CME – through various initiatives, including the establishment of the Canadian Manufacturing Coalition – touches more than 100,000 companies from coast to coast, engaged in manufacturing, global business, and service-related industries.

 

-CONCAMIN-

The Confederation of Industrial Chambers of the United Mexican States, CONCAMIN, established in 1918, is the main organization representing the different industrial sectors and activities of high importance for the economic development of Mexico. The National Confederation of Industrial Chambers, is by law a mandatory consultative body of the State since its creation 104 years ago, it represents 118 Chambers and Associations.

It generates 48 out of every 100 formal jobs in the country. Through 1.2 million Economic Units, we contribute 40% of the GDP and 90% of the country’s exports. 

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