Legislation & regulation

AEM calls USMCA a victory for equipment makers

Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) President Dennis Slater says American politicians got it right concerning the authorship and passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade (USMCA). The U.S.’s ratification of USMCA was signed by President Trump on Jan. 29, moving it one step closer to replacing the existing North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

“President Trump and Congress have delivered a free trade agreement that works for equipment manufacturers, farmers and working families across the country,” says Slater. “We thank President Trump, Vice President Pence, House Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader McConnell for their leadership and for putting policy ahead of politics to get this landmark deal across the finish line.”

Slater says the USMCA “restores certainty to the North American market and secures duty-free access to our industry’s two largest export markets. It will help equipment manufacturers grow in the United States, compete globally, and support millions of family-sustaining jobs across the country.”

Slater was joined in his positive comments by executives representing the equipment manufacturing sector, including Jason Andringa, president and CEO of Pella, Iowa-based Vermeer Corp. “As a manufacturer of large construction and agricultural equipment making an impact on communities around the world, we look forward to moves that make getting Vermeer equipment in the hands of those who need it easier than before,” says Andringa.

Adds Stephen Roy, a senior vice president with Volvo Construction Equipment, “USMCA is essential for growth in the manufacturing backbone of the American economy—equipment manufacturers depend on low barriers to trade, especially with our closest neighbors.”

Komatsu America Chairman and CEO Rod Schrader adds, “The strong bipartisan support of the USMCA indicates how important it was to update our trading rules. USMCA will allow American manufacturers to establish more predictable trade relations and helps ensure fair trade for our products with our important trading partners, Canada and Mexico.”