More than 125 Suppliers Convene in Washington for 2019 MEMA Legislative Summit

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- More than 125 members and affiliates of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) and its four divisions -- Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association (HDMA), MERA - The Association for Sustainable Manufacturing, and Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA) -- participated in the annual MEMA Legislative Summit here on April 30 and May 1.
 
“As those in this room clearly know, automated and autonomous technologies, new fuel-efficiency technologies, and dramatic shifts in the ways that consumers use, and even think about, mobility will fundamentally change our industry,” said MEMA President and CEO Bill Long in his opening remarks to a full audience. “Indeed, we have seen a lot of change. Our industry is built upon it. It defines us -- our resilience, ingenuity and our vision. We are an industry prepared to realize our full potential. This change can be head-spinning. And yet, throughout MEMA’s long history, suppliers and our industry have been here before.”
 
Among the many changes and challenges that the supplier industry faces are new tariffs applied to steel and aluminum imports, tariffs on imports from China, and the renegotiation of the nearly 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Attendees participated in more than 130 meetings with Trump administration officials and legislators aimed at helping them understand the impact of these and other issues as well as how decisions in Washington affect businesses across the country.
 
MEMA’s event in Washington has evolved into a valuable platform for industry dialog and advancing the business interests of the supplier industry. This year’s event included a “Town Hall” discussion with former U.S. Representatives Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) and Phil English (R-Pa.); a session on North American trade with Ambassador Martha Bárcena Coqui, the ambassador of Mexico to the United States, and Kirsten Hillman, Deputy Ambassador of Canada to the United States; and Charlie Cook of the Cook Political Report
 
Note to editors and reporters: A photo of MEMA President and CEO Bill Long addressing the 2019 Legislative Summit is available upon request: media@mema.org.
 
About MEMA
 
The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) and its four specialized divisions comprise a leading international trade association in the fast-changing mobility industry. Representing vehicle suppliers that manufacture and remanufacture components, technologies, and systems for use in passenger cars and heavy trucks, MEMA serves as a critical bridge between high-tech capabilities in new vehicles –such as autonomous vehicles and vehicle connectivity—and the “nuts and bolts” of vehicle manufacturing. MEMA works at state, federal, and international levels to ensure that the marketplace and public policy support the development of advanced, transformative technologies that enable safer, smarter, and more efficient vehicles. MEMA’s members are represented through four divisions: Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association (HDMA), Motor & Equipment Remanufacturers Association (MERA), and Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA). For more information on how MEMA is leading transformation in the mobility industry, visit www.mema.org.