Ann Wilson, Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association’s (MEMA) senior vice president of government affairs, recently testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee on the effects of tariff increases on the U.S. economy and jobs.
MEMA supports growing the economy as well as free, fair, and reciprocal trade, Wilson said, but is against tariffs on steel and aluminum and tariffs against China. The association is concerned these tariffs would adversely affect U.S. manufacturing jobs.
The combined tariffs could cause many MEMA members to question their future investments and could cause many to close for financial reasons, Wilson said. This, in turn, will negatively impact employees and consumers, she said.
“Our industry buys the vast majority of its steel and aluminum domestically but imports specialty materials as well as finished parts,” Wilson said. “Often, these imports are manufactured further and made into other parts, subcomponents or systems by us workers at facilities all over the country. This allows the U.S. supply chain, as part of the global economy, to be competitive and prosperous – creating hundreds of thousands of us jobs.”
Instead of tariffs, MEMA urges the committee and the Trump Administration to pursue free and fair trade.