Policy and Legal

Policy and Legal

NAM Gives DOE Recommendations on Critical Materials

To secure the stable, diversified critical materials supply chains that the U.S. needs to remain globally competitive and achieve energy dominance, changes must be made to the 2026 Energy Critical Materials Assessment, the NAM said today.

What’s going on: “Manufacturers in America utilize critical materials and minerals extensively, deploying them in a wide array of manufactured products throughout the U.S. economy,” NAM Vice President of Domestic Policy Chris Phalen told the Department of Energy in response to a request for information seeking public input on the assessment.

  • The NAM recommended the DOE take certain steps regarding the assessment, including adding certain materials to its list and ensuring others remain on it. It also urged the DOE to collaborate with other agencies and Congress to “streamline permitting processes to ensure greater domestic access to these materials.”

Other actions: The NAM also urged the DOE to:

  • Maintain “the critical materials that are currently listed within the DOE’s Energy Critical Materials Assessment,” including aluminum, cobalt, copper, electrical steel, lithium and graphite;
  • Add iron nitride and zirconium to the assessment;
  • Remove permitting barriers that are “restricting the United States from being able to mine, process and access domestic resources, modernize infrastructure and shore up supply chains”;
  • Offer financial tools—including investment tax credits, production tax credits and grants—to help “de-risk technological advancement”;
  • Align the DOE’s critical materials list with the U.S. Geological Survey’s separate critical minerals list; and
  • Add fluorine to the USGS list.

The final say: These recommendations will “ensure [that] manufacturers of all sizes and in all segments of the industry have access to the materials necessary for modern, innovative manufactured products,” Phalen continued.

  • They will also allow manufacturers to do what they “do best—put more Americans to work, more factories into motion, more innovation into the marketplace and more investments into our communities while strengthening the hand of the United States on the world stage.”
Press Releases

ICYMI: One Big Beautiful Bill in Action: House Ways and Means Hears from Manufacturers

Watch Jay Timmons’ House Ways and Means Testimony

Over the course of two days, manufacturers praised the pro-growth tax provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act during field hearings hosted by the House Ways and Means Committee. On Friday, Click Bond Director of Manufacturing Austin Robinson testified in Las Vegas, Nevada. On Saturday, National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons and Robinson Helicopter Company Vice President of Business Development William Fulton testified at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. Timmons also joined NewsNation ahead of the hearing to discuss the passage of historic tax legislation.

NAM’s Timmons: Manufacturing Law Will Help to Drive Another American Century

“This is a manufacturers’ law, through and through. By making immediate R&D expensing, full expensing of capital equipment and interest deductibility permanent, this Manufacturing Law delivers for investment and innovation.

“Through the pass-through deduction, reduced individual tax rates and estate tax protections for family-owned businesses, this Manufacturing Law delivers for the small businesses that power our economy.

“Through protecting the 21% corporate tax rate—and through strengthening the international tax system that incentivizes companies to invest here, build here [and] hire here—this Manufacturing Law will help to deliver another American century.”

Robinson Helicopter: OBBBA Accelerates Domestic Investment, Expansion and Growth

“Many of our employees come from families who have worked at Robinson Helicopter across multiple generations, and we are proud of the work we do, which the One Big Beautiful Bill Act supports by driving our ability to accelerate domestic investment, expansion and growth.

….

“The One Big Beautiful Bill retained a 21% corporate tax rate that underpins the baseline for our global competitiveness, and included critical provisions to reduce the cost of investment that will facilitate our product and job growth plans. Manufacturers are innovators, and one of the most important provisions of H.R. 1 is the restoration of immediate R&D expensing. Though manufacturing accounts for only 10% of the country’s GDP, we make up 53% of all private-sector research spending. These tax provisions help us to invest both in the design of new technology and its production processes.

“Thanks to your leadership, Congress and the administration have empowered Robinson Helicopter to create jobs, invest in equipment, innovate through R&D and drive economic growth faster.”

Click Bond: OBBBA Bolsters Family-Supporting Careers

“The One Big Beautiful Bill’s impacts on manufacturing workers [are] substantial. It protects them from tax hikes, provides further cuts via no tax on overtime and frees up capital for businesses like Click Bond to hire more workers [and] increase wages and benefits. By recognizing the importance of innovation, investment and workers, this bill gives manufacturers in Nevada and across the country the tools they need to succeed and grow. This means more jobs and higher wages and more lifelong family-supporting careers for manufacturing workers across this great country.”

NAM’s Timmons: Tax Law Is a Once-in-a-Lifetime Investment

“Manufacturers have been given an incredible opportunity with this tax law … I think this is once in the lifetime of the country that we’ve seen something that is this competition-focused—allowing us to attract investment to our shores. So Chairman Jason Smith … he understands that when you create the economic conditions, then businesses, and specifically manufacturers in our case, can help provide opportunities to folks all across this country … So we’re pretty excited about the ability to do that, and we’ve been given the tools to do that, and I can assure you that manufacturers will live up to that promise.”

-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 nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.90 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% 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.

Policy and Legal

EQT’s Rice: U.S. Energy, AI Dominance Require Permitting Reform


To win the artificial intelligence race with China and better compete with Russia, the U.S. must reduce its project-approval times, the head of the largest American natural gas company has warned Congress (Financial Times, subscription).

What’s going on: “Congress [needs] to step up and act,” EQT President and CEO Toby Rice told the FT regarding the need for the government to streamline “America’s byzantine permitting process,” which has greatly increased infrastructure project costs and times.

  • “The threat of not getting infrastructure built has only gotten larger,” he continued. “Not only from bad actors getting rich by selling energy that could be replaced with American energy—it’s also the threat of China winning the AI race.”
  • The biggest concern, according to Rice: judicial review, which allows for up to six years of legal challenges of permit decisions.

We need it all: In recent years, the U.S. has been shuttering baseload power plants and making it harder for companies to build natural gas infrastructure, Rice continued, and as a result, prices have risen and the electrical grid is becoming unreliable.

  • Since the start of his second term, however, President Trump has prioritized making the U.S. energy dominant, taking actions like lifting the previous administration’s ban on new LNG export permits.

The backdrop: “These actions come as the U.S. races to meet growing domestic and global power demand caused by the data centers used to build and develop AI.”

  • Global electricity demand from data centers is expected to double by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency.

A positive step: This week, EQT “signed an agreement in principle to provide gas to a 4.4[-gigawatt] plant that will power the Homer City Energy Campus, a 3,200 acre data center in Pennsylvania.”

Europe, too: Europe has been trying to wean itself off Russian gas since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

  • This week, ENI—one of Europe’s biggest energy firms—signed an agreement to purchase 2 million metric tonnes of LNG from U.S. company Venture Global.

The NAM’s view: “Mr. Rice is right that, as the NAM has long said, the U.S. permitting system is holding us back,” said NAM Vice President of Domestic Policy Chris Phalen.

  • “The administration has made important strides in cutting needless red tape, but manufacturers need comprehensive permitting reform legislation from Congress that supports all energy sources and makes improvements to our transmission and distribution systems for the nation to reach its full potential.”
Policy and Legal

Using Traditional Energy to Generate Geothermal Power


Researchers seeking new methods of generating thermal energy are now trying something new: the oil and gas industry (POLITICO’s E&E News).

What’s going on: “State research officials in North Dakota are examining two new options—pairing geothermal with active oil and gas sites and using captured carbon dioxide as a feedstock for geothermal power production.”

  • The state gave the go-ahead in June for a $250,000 feasibility study looking at “whether those two new geothermal technologies could be used” there.

Why it’s happening now: President Trump signed an executive order in April, calling for the elimination of “all illegitimate impediments” to the development of geothermal projects.

  • Geothermal power enjoys bipartisan support in Congress, and federal tax incentives for both geothermal and carbon capture and storage have “created an environment where companies and researchers can start to explore different methods of production,” Matt Villante, an earth scientist with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, told E&E News.
  • In addition, the 45Q tax credit, which offers an incentive for carbon management undertakings that capture carbon dioxide, was preserved in the recent reconciliation bill.

How it works: Researchers are exploring several different methods for using captured carbon dioxide to produce geothermal energy, which is traditionally extracted “by drilling and pumping up brine from deep within the earth.”

  • One method would involve injecting large amounts of carbon dioxide into the ground to push out the brine.
  • “Another approach could be pushing CO2 underground to the heat source, and pumping back up the heated CO2 to power the turbines, then injected the cooled carbon dioxide back underground in a closed-loop system.”
  • A third way would use hydraulic fracturing to break up “hot dry rock” using carbon dioxide.

Yes, but…Despite the support for geothermal, actual projects to harness it are thin on the ground.

  • In 2023, only about 0.4% of U.S. power came from geothermal sources, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, as “investors … [wait] for the existing technology to become safer bets.”

The NAM says: “While geothermal represents a small portion of the energy mix now, the NAM supports efforts to invest in developing the technology so that the U.S. has more sources in its all-of-the-above energy portfolio,” said NAM Director of Energy and Resources Policy Michael Davin.

Press Releases

White House AI Plan Reflects Manufacturers’ AI Priorities

Underscores How Manufacturers Are Already Leading in AI Innovation

Washington, D.C. – Following the release of the White House’s AI Action Plan today, National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons issued the following statement: 

 

“Reflecting President Trump’s vision for the United States to lead on artificial intelligence, the White House’s AI Action Plan underscores what manufacturers across the country already know: AI is no longer a future ambition—it is already central to modern manufacturing. For years, manufacturers have been developing and deploying AI-driven technologies—machine vision, digital twins, robotics and more—to make shop floors safer, strengthen supply chains and drive growth.

 

“Manufacturers have been leading the charge to shape AI policy that accelerates innovation while ensuring appropriate guardrails. The White House’s plan reflects many of the recommendations we’ve put forward—from permitting reform for all energy sources so we can unleash American energy dominance, to a smarter, more targeted regulatory approach, to supporting workforce development and ensuring small and medium manufacturers can access these technologies. With nearly 400,000 open jobs in manufacturing, we need to invest in the workforce of tomorrow—training existing workers to use AI technologies and attracting new high-skilled talent into the sector.

 

“We’ve been calling for a pro-AI policy environment—one that supports innovation and responsible integration of AI into real-world operations. That means not rushing to impose burdensome laws or regulations when workable rules already exist. It means adopting requirements that are tailored to specific use cases of AI. It also means light-touch regulations that limit compliance costs so small and medium-sized manufacturers aren’t locked out of this technology.

 

“The White House plan answers that call.”

 

Background:

Manufacturers have been at the forefront of developing and implementing cutting-edge AI systems that are transforming shop floors and revolutionizing operations.

 

In March, the NAM submitted comments to inform the White House’s development of an AI Action Plan, explaining how manufacturers are using AI on shop floors and in operations, with specific recommendations on rebalancing and right-sizing AI regulations to enhance America’s global AI dominance.

 

In May, the NAM proposed a series of policy recommendations for policymakers to drive AI development and adoption in manufacturing, and the Manufacturing Leadership Council, the digital transformation division of the NAM, released a groundbreaking report, “Shaping the AI-Powered Factory of the Future,” revealing that 51% of manufacturers already deploy AI in their operations, and 80% say AI will be essential to growing or maintaining their business by 2030. This is not just about efficiency—it’s about competitiveness, innovation and the future of American industry.

 

In May 2024, the NAM published “Working Smarter: How Manufacturers Are Using Artificial Intelligence”—a report that explains the ways in which manufacturers are using AI already, making the technology integral to modern manufacturing with manufacturers at the forefront of developing and implementing AI systems.

-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 nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.90 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector rese arch 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.

Policy and Legal

U.S. Strikes Deal with Indonesia


The Trump administration has released the text of a framework agreement with Indonesia yesterday, also announcing a deal with Japan that has not been made public yet.

Framework agreement with Indonesia: The document released yesterday is a framework for negotiating an “Agreement on Reciprocal Trade.” It includes some commitments but also lays the groundwork for more negotiations.

U.S. exports to Indonesia: Indonesia will “eliminate tariff barriers” on approximately 99% of U.S. industrial and agricultural exports.

  • For context, U.S. manufacturing exports to Indonesia in 2024 were $6.5 billion of the $10.2 billion total. Manufacturing imports from Indonesia in 2024 were $25.4 billion of the $28 billion total.

U.S. imports from Indonesia: This agreement would reduce the U.S. tariff on imports from Indonesia to 19% from the 32% rate imposed by the Trump administration on April 2.

  • Significantly, the agreement suggests the U.S. “may identify certain commodities not naturally available or domestically produced for further reduction in the reciprocal tariff rate.”
  • This type of approach is exactly what the NAM has pushed for in its proposed U.S. Manufacturing Investment Accelerator Program, and it will continue advocating for such policies in subsequent trade agreements.

Critical minerals: Indonesia, which had previously banned exports of nickel, will also remove restrictions on exports to the U.S. of industrial commodities, including critical minerals.

Other key components: The agreement also achieves commitments by Indonesia on other key trade issues.

  • Nontariff barriers: Indonesia will accept U.S. standards and certifications for vehicles, medical devices and pharmaceuticals, exempt certain U.S. products from local content requirements and also allow the import of U.S.-remanufactured goods.
  • Digital trade: The country will also now support the World Trade Organization’s e-commerce moratorium on tariffs on electronic transmissions—something it had opposed previously and that is essential to manufacturers seeking to move information across borders.
  • Steel: Indonesia pledged to join the Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity, an approach the NAM supports to address unfair subsidization and excess production, particularly by China, that distort global markets.
  • China: Indonesia will work with the U.S. to address the unfair practices of other countries and to cooperate on export controls, investment security and combatting duty evasion.
  • Purchases: Indonesia has agreed to purchase U.S. aircraft, agricultural products and energy products.

More to come: President Trump has previewed agreements with the Philippines and Vietnam on social media, while Japanese officials have announced an agreement on tariffs at a press briefing. The NAM will report on the official details once they are available.

The bigger picture: Here are some other trade developments that the NAM is tracking:

  • U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will meet his Chinese counterpart in the coming days.
  • President Trump will travel to Scotland for discussions on “finalizing” details in the U.K. deal.
  • Talks with the EU, Canada and Mexico continue.
  • And lastly, the president has signaled he may send letters setting a flat rate of 10–15% tariffs to some 150 countries.
Policy and Legal

NAM to Congress: Reauthorize Surface Transportation Funding

“To put it simply, investments in infrastructure are investments in manufacturing,” Husco President and CEO and NAM Executive Committee member Austin Ramirez told the Senate this week.

What’s going on: “Modern, dependable transportation helps manufacturers make and move our products,” Ramirez, whose company makes hydraulic and electromechanical control systems, told the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works at a Wednesday hearing on crafting the next highway bill.

  • Infrastructure projects “generate productivity gains and induce demand for manufacturing goods—stimulating the economy and bolstering American competitiveness,” said Ramirez.

Funding in action: Husco has seen firsthand the benefits of robust infrastructure investments, Ramirez continued.

  • “Our customers are in the automotive and construction industries. And Husco families drive over the roads and bridges improved by highway projects. Several are turning dirt this year in Waukesha County.”

Why it’s crucial: Failure to reauthorize key surface transportation programs would result in interruption of these critical investments in U.S. roads and bridges, hitting manufacturers hard, Ramirez told the committee.

  • “We cannot go back to the fits and starts of highway bill extensions. Our industry needs certainty to invest, plan and hire in America.”

Permitting reform: Ramirez also explained how America’s “complex permitting laws impact investment decisions” and encouraged the committee to adopt comprehensive permitting reforms that expedite project approvals and put a stop to “endless litigation.”

What should be done: Policymakers should “seize the opportunity” to make “robust investments in our surface transportation infrastructure,” Ramirez said. This should include efforts to strengthen the Highway Trust Fund, expand highway capacity and connectivity, implement intermodal improvements to bolster the country’s freight network and enact much-needed permitting reform.

Other voices: Other manufacturers recently sat down with the NAM and United for Infrastructure, where the NAM serves as a steering committee member, to discuss how infrastructure impacts their businesses. Leaders from CRH, Nucor and Fluor—sponsors of the NAM’s and United for Infrastructure’s Infrastructure Week kickoff event—spoke about the importance of infrastructure investments and modernizing our infrastructure to keep products moving and manufacturers operating.

  • “As we look at reauthorizing the [Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act] a really important piece of that was the higher baseline for federal highway formula funding, which we know through our experience with state DOTs needs to continue to grow in order to meet the needs of growing states,” said Fluor Senior Director of Government Relations Nathan Robinson.
  • “If we’re going to truly harness the power of what AI is going to bring us, what machine learning’s going to bring us, all the things that truly are the future [of the] economy, we’ve got to get the way we move people and goods around in much better shape,” said Nucor Executive Vice President of Business Services Ben Pickett.
  • “Permitting reform has absolutely got to happen for us. We’d like to see … a less prescriptive bill and more money go to the states through [the] funding formula. … When states have funding security and certainty, then they’re able to go raise revenues,” said CRH Executive Vice President of Government Relations Ryan Lindsey.

The last word: “Our industry depends on a robust, modern, efficient transportation system—and you can promote domestic manufacturing by getting a highway bill done this Congress,” Ramirez concluded.

Policy and Legal

Washington Post Editorial Board: America Needs Permitting Reform


Endless litigation has delayed much-needed American infrastructure development for decades—and that has to stop, as the NAM and manufacturers have long argued. The Washington Post (subscription) editorial board makes the case that Congress must step up and fix the permitting process to unlock American investment and growth.

Recent developments: The recent Supreme Court ruling that limited the National Environmental Policy Act—in which the NAM filed an amicus brief—is a step in the right direction.

  • In that case, “The court decided that the U.S. Surface Transportation Board could approve an 88-mile train track even if it might move crude oil from Utah to refineries on the Gulf Coast,” the Post noted. “The board didn’t have to assess the potential future impacts if the new track encouraged more oil drilling on one end and more oil refining on the other.”
  • In other words, environmental review was limited to the environmental impact of the project itself—as intended by the statute—rather than a more expansive investigation into the potential uses of the finished project.

A long-standing problem: Gaming the permitting process to stop development is nothing new.

  • “In the 1970s, a ‘new’ species of freshwater fish called the snail darter was discovered during NEPA research into the building of the Tellico Dam in Tennessee.”
  • “For the project to be completed, Congress had to exempt it from the Endangered Species Act. It turned out that the fish was not endangered. It wasn’t a separate species. Opponents of the dam ‘discovered’ it to get the dam stopped.”

More at risk: Numerous infrastructure projects are still in limbo today due to this sort of maneuvering by groups seeking to delay needed investments.

  • “A flower called Tiehm’s buckwheat might stand in the way of a Nevada lithium mine green-lit by the Biden administration,” for example.
  • But, as the Post noted, “Maybe the idea of protecting every ecosystem at any cost should be reconsidered. The flower, which apparently grows only on 10 acres in the proposed mine’s footprint, is a close relative of other buckwheats. Is it a distinct species? Perhaps it could be grown elsewhere?”
  • And another important question: “Perhaps the battle against climate change—which will require lithium to build lithium-ion batteries to power electric vehicles—should take precedence?”

Calling on Congress: “NEPA review had grown to require every government decision to survive endless judicial challenges, poorly serving the nation and the natural environment in which it sits. Congress should not leave it to courts to fix,” the Post concluded.

The NAM agrees: “Comprehensive permitting reform is essential to building a strong and more competitive manufacturing economy. As [the Post] notes, Congress should reevaluate environmental impact reviews in order to ease construction of critical infrastructure projects,” said NAM Managing Vice President of Policy Charles Crain on X.

Policy and Legal

NAM: Manufacturers Concerned About Flawed FDA Methodology


The Food and Drug Administration is considering a scientifically flawed method for detection of asbestos in talc-containing cosmetics products—a move that could have far-reaching implications across the manufacturing sector.

What’s going on: In December, the FDA published a proposed rule for detecting and identifying asbestos, as required by the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022. But the proposal is based on unsound science that could limit companies’ ability to utilize talc, a key manufacturing input.

  • The overinclusive testing methodology prescribed in the rule is highly likely to misidentify non-asbestos minerals as asbestos. That means that a “positive” test could classify talc as contaminated with asbestos—even if no asbestos is present.
  • In May, the FDA held a roundtable discussion on the safety of talc, at which participants discussed the merits of expanding this de facto talc ban beyond cosmetics and to most if not all products and manufacturing processes.

Why the NAM is concerned: Beyond cosmetics, talc is used in a wide variety of industries—including pharmaceuticals, food, plastics, paper, automotives, rubber, roofing, paint, coatings, pottery and ceramics. It is also commonly used on shop floors throughout the industry.

  • For many companies, talc substitutions may be inferior or may not exist at all.
  • In addition, an FDA-endorsed standard prone to false positives is highly likely to distort other agencies’ asbestos detection testing methods and exposure analysis.

The NAM says: The FDA should withdraw the proposed standard and publish a new rule that contains scientifically sound and accurate testing methods.

  • “Manufacturers support the use of sound science,” said NAM Managing Vice President of Policy Charles Crain. “The FDA has the opportunity to repromulgate this flawed rule to provide for accurate, science-based testing that actually protects consumers—rather than a flawed standard that could have far-reaching and costly consequences throughout the manufacturing industry.”
Policy and Legal

The NAM at Brookings: How Is Manufacturing Doing Under Trump?


There’s a lot for manufacturers in the U.S. to celebrate right now, starting with the historic passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act with pro-growth tax provisions—but they are still seeking more policy fixes to help them grow and compete, the NAM said last week at the 14th annual John Hazen White Manufacturing Forum at The Brookings Institution.

Starting with tax policy: “When we think about the president’s manufacturing strategy, his manufacturing policies, you really have to start with tax policy,” NAM Managing Vice President of Policy Charles Crain said about manufacturing under the Trump administration.

  • “We know from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act the impact that pro-growth tax policy [had] on manufacturing in 2018 and 2019. Coming out of the TCJA, we saw record capital investments in the manufacturing industry. We saw record job increases. We saw record wage increases.”
  • The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law on the Fourth of July, “prevents … tax increases, and it really should support manufacturers’ efforts to drive manufacturing growth,” Crain continued, adding that the OBBBA included incentives for capital equipment purchases, research and development, factory building and more.
  • The legislation is “a big win” for manufacturing and “a real credit to the president,” he said.

Reaching a shared goal: Even if the U.S. were “operating at full capacity,” manufacturing in the country would still require imports from other nations—making a commonsense trade policy a necessity, Crain said.

  • In practice, manufacturing in the U.S. is only making about 67% of inputs required for finished goods, Crain said.
  • “So we really need to solve for that 30-ish percent of outstanding inputs that we need to make things here. … Manufacturers need inputs to make things, and we need export markets to sell things. And so we think that a commonsense trade policy can allow for the president to achieve [the administration’s] trade policy goals without preventing manufacturers from investing here in America, which is a goal we all share.”

Giving manufacturers certainty: In the latest quarterly NAM Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey, just 55% of manufacturers—the lowest reading since the global pandemic in 2020—reported feeling positive about their companies’ outlook, Crain said. The top reason for the optimism drop? Trade uncertainty, something that a comprehensive U.S. trade policy can help remedy.

  • Not knowing what to expect next when it comes to trade “makes it more difficult to make long-term investment decisions that we know drive manufacturing growth,” according to Crain.
  • While tax uncertainty has now “been taken off the table” thanks to the passage of the OBBBA, “we’re still facing additional barriers to those long-term decisions that we need to create jobs here in America.”
  • It’s also critical to manufacturing in the U.S. that the current corporate tax rate be maintained, Crain said. “[I]f we have a 35% corporate rate as opposed to the current 21[%], it’s going to be really difficult to onshore domestic manufacturing.”

Fewer regulations needed: Manufacturing in the U.S. also needs more balanced regulations—and fortunately, that’s something the administration began doing on day one.

  • “[M]anufacturers, in our experience, have been very encouraged to see the administration taking a second look at some of the rules that were finalized in recent years … finding ways to maintain reliable rules of the road, but [also] to make those rules less costly.”

Open jobs in manufacturing: Manufacturers also remain committed to filling the 400,000 open manufacturing jobs in the U.S., Crain said, addressing an audience question.

  • Manufacturers “are really focused on providing competitive benefits, having flexible work schedules, having onsite child care” as well as “partnering with local community colleges to implement training programs [and] partnering with the military to bring folks coming out of active duty into manufacturing shop floors.”

The takeaways: The OBBBA “delivers for manufacturers in America by making pro-growth tax provisions permanent,” Crain wrote on X following the event.

  • But “[t]o ensure we can continue to grow manufacturing in America, policymakers must pursue a comprehensive manufacturing strategy that will provide manufacturers the tools, and the certainty, needed to make long-term investments,” he wrote in a second post.
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