MEMA Policy Breakfast to Address Threat of Tariffs on Auto Parts

The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) will hold a policy panel discussion titled “Tariffs on Autos and Auto Parts: Auto Parts Are Not a Threat to National Security” on April 9, 2019, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Now that the Department of Commerce has completed a Section 232 national security investigation of imports of automobile and automotive parts, the motor vehicle parts supplier industry is struggling with uncertainty. The report, to date not made public, is now in President Trump’s hands, and he could impose tariffs on auto parts as high as 25 percent. MEMA has argued that these broad, unilateral, and import-restrictive measures, if imposed, could jeopardize the 871,000 vehicle supplier jobs in the U.S., harm the global competitiveness of the U.S., and diminish investment in the U.S. The panelists will explore how this uncertainty is already impacting the industry, how threatened tariffs could change the largest sector of manufacturing jobs in the U.S., and what, if anything, can be done to prevent further damage to an industry in distress. The event speakers are Ann Wilson, MEMA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, and Chad Bown, Reginald Jones Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

The event is part of MEMA’s successful Policy Breakfast Series, which was launched in 2017. The series aims to highlight and explain the complexities of critical issues that affect the motor vehicle supplier industry. IN recent months MEMA has addressed topics including tax reform, the new North American trade deal, workforce development, and emission standards. With these events, MEMA has earned a leadership role for the industry and has established a meaningful voice on issues in Washington.

Members of MEMA’s four divisions, industry professionals, legislators and regulators, and members of the media are invited to attend. To learn more about the event or to register to attend, click here.