Trade

Washington, D.C. – National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement on announced U.S. tariffs on Mexico:

Manufacturers, like so many Americans and like President Trump, are frustrated with our broken immigration system and by the inaction that has led to a true humanitarian crisis. The answer to our broken system is a comprehensive, legislative solution, which manufacturers have offered in ‘A Way Forward.’ We continue to urge the administration and Congress to work together to address this crisis because the problem will not be solved just by blaming other countries. Intertwining difficult trade, tariff and immigration issues creates a Molotov cocktail of policy, and America’s manufacturing workers should not be forced to suffer because of the failure to fix our immigration system.

These proposed tariffs would have devastating consequences on manufacturers in America and on American consumers. We have taken our concerns to the highest levels of the administration and strongly urge them to consider carefully the impact of this action on working families across this country. Manufacturers have been working hard to secure passage of the U.S.–Mexico–Canada Agreement, and the last thing we want to do is put that landmark deal—and the 2 million manufacturing jobs that depend on North American trade—in jeopardy.

We will continue to work with leaders on both sides of the aisle on immigration reform, just as we are working to continue our hard-won progress on the USMCA. We cannot afford to put the livelihoods of millions of Americans at risk at the same time.

-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 $2.38 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 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 Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.