Data sourced from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Census Bureau.
Manufacturing inputs are classified as all goods that fall under the capital goods, industrial supplies, and auto parts end use categories.
Trade
Pursuing Policies That Improve Manufacturers’ Competitiveness and Create More Jobs and Investment in the United States.
Trading to Win
Manufacturers are offering a clear, actionable agenda to strengthen U.S. manufacturing through common-sense trade policy:
Manufacturers operate on thin margins. We need predictability to plan, compete, invest and hire. The right trade policy can unlock new opportunities for growth—strengthening supply chains, creating jobs and ensuring America is the manufacturing superpower
-
1
Go for Zero-for-Zero Tariffs
We’re calling on negotiators to secure better terms for manufacturers by adopting zero-for-zero tariffs for American-made products in our trading partners’ markets. That means they don’t charge us, and we don’t charge them.
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2
Protect Inputs That Power U.S. Production
More than half of U.S. imports are manufacturing inputs. These include critical minerals, chemicals and machinery essential for making things in America. On the path to zero-for-zero, we urge negotiators not to put tariffs on specific manufacturing inputs we need to make things in America.
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3
Create American Investment Incentives
If tariffs remain in place, we propose specific incentives, such as tariff rebates for manufacturing companies investing in manufacturing in the U.S. to accelerate the growth of the American industrial base.
Trade Intelligence Center
Key Facts
56%
of goods imported to the U.S. are manufacturing inputs
1/3
of all imported manufacturing inputs originate in North America
59%
of imports from Mexico are manufacturing inputs
70%
of imports from Canada are manufacturing inputs
% who use imported manufacturing inputs to make things in America
% who use imported manufacturing inputs from USMCA partners
% of those who use inputs from USMCA partners that lack comparably priced domestic sources
Among all manufacturing respondents*
91%
74%
82%
Among small and medium manufacturer respondents**
87%
63%
75%
Manufacturers across America depend on critical inputs imported from around the world.
United States
| Estimated increase in effective tariff rate on manufacturing inputs (May 27, 2025 vs Dec. 31, 2024) |
+15% | ||||||
| Manufacturing GDP | $2.94T | ||||||
| Imports of manufacturing inputs | $1.1T | ||||||
Top 3 Input Imports
|
|||||||
| For every $1 of manufacturing inputs imported, manufacturers in America produce $1.40 of output.
U.S. suppliers have the capacity to meet up to 84% of U.S. manufacturers’ intermediate and capital goods needs. Even with full utilization of current industrial capacity, 16% of inputs must be imported. |
|||||||
| Manufacturing employment | 12.7M+ | ||||||
+6%
+20%
Estimated Increase in Effective Tariff Rate on Mfg Inputs
1State manufacturing output figures derived from 2023 regional data tables produced by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. 2Percentage of intermediate manufacturing inputs sourced from outside the U.S. derived from U.S. EPA's StateIO - Open Source Economic Input-Output Models for the 50 States of the United States of America and USA Trade Import Destination by State, 2023 tables. Li, M., J. Ferreira, C. Court, D. Meyer, M. Li, AND Wesley W. Ingwersen. StateIO - Open Source Economic Input-Output Models for the 50 States of the United States of America. International Regional Science Review. SAGE Publications, THOUSAND OAKS, CA, 46(4):428-481, (2023). https://doi.org/10.1177/01600176221145874 3Average increase in effective tariff rate is computed from the difference of the average effective tariff rate due on manufacturing inputs between Dec.31, 2024 and Apr.30, 2025 based on composition of state's 2023 imports. 4Manufacturing employment numbers derived from Bureau of Labor Statistics March 2025 release. 5Manufacturing GDP derived from Bureau of Economic Analysis 2024 release. For states without a 2024 manufacturing GDP release, we used the 2023 release. 5Capacity utilization rate derived from 2023 monthly average of Federal Reserve's Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization - G.17 release.
What Manufacturers Are Saying on Tariffs
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Trump’s first 100 days
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NAM's Timmons on NewsNation
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Local manufacturer casts wary gaze toward tariffs
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Cincinnati's trade-dependent $199B economy braces for tariffs
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Timmons Talks Trade, Tax and Regulations in NYC Morning Media Swing
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Central Ohio company feeling the impacts of tariffs
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Dardas: Tariffs threaten American manufacturers
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Drowning in Tariffs, American businesses try to stay afloat
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Key Policy Actions
The NAM has made a series of recommendations through formal comments to federal agencies in response to the administration’s recent tariff policy proposals. The NAM cautions against broad tariffs that could disrupt supply chains, increase costs, and undermine the global competitiveness of our member companies, offering alternative paths to accelerate manufacturing in the U.S.
NAM Submission to USTR Reciprocal Tariff FRN March 11 2025
The NAM submitted comments to the USTR offering approaches to new trade negotiations to strengthen America’s economic might in the world, while preserving manufacturers’ ability to access inputs critical to expanding manufacturing at home.
Download PDF
Comments on Section 232 Section 232 National Security Investigation of Imports of Pharmaceuticals
NAM submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Commerce on the Section 232 investigation into pharmaceutical imports, urging against broad tariffs. NAM emphasized the industry's vital role in U.S. innovation, economic strength, and national security.
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Comments on Section 232 National Security Investigation of Imports of Semiconductors
NAM submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Commerce on the Section 232 investigation into semiconductor imports, emphasizing the chips’ essential role in U.S. manufacturing, innovation, and national security. NAM urged against tariffs, advocating instead for policies that promote domestic investment, support global market access, and strengthen alliances to secure semiconductor supply chains.
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Comments 232 National Security Investigation of Imports of Processed Critical Minerals ...
NAM submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Commerce on the Section 232 investigation into critical mineral imports, emphasizing their role in U.S. manufacturing, energy, and defense. NAM urged against tariffs, citing risks to supply chains and competitiveness.
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Comments on Section 232 National Security Investigation of Imports of Copper
NAM submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Commerce on the Section 232 copper import investigation, highlighting copper’s essential role in manufacturing and energy—from transformers to data centers—and urging tariff-free access amid supply gaps.
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Investigation of China’s Targeting of Maritime, Logistics, and Shipbuilding Sectors for Dominance
The NAM submitted comments to USTR opposing proposed port fees that would raise costs for U.S. manufacturers. While supporting efforts to counter China’s unfair shipbuilding practices, NAM urges targeted solutions that don’t disrupt supply chains or burden American industry.
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Comments on Section 232 National Security Investigation of Imports of Timber and Lumber
NAM emphasized the industry's importance to U.S. manufacturing and warned that new tariffs could raise costs and disrupt supply chains.
Download PDFThe Promise of the USMCA
President Trump’s USMCA succeeded in shifting manufacturing imports away from China to North America. In this new phase of U.S. trade policy, strengthening the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement will be critical in helping North America restore balance and combat disruptive, problematic trade practices coming out of other countries, specifically China.
View and download the NAM’s new one pager that assesses the impact and value of U.S imports of manufacturing inputs from North America.
