MT Magazine September/October 2022

WORKFORCE ISSUE

10

MANUFACTURING MATTERS

INTERNATIONAL

Globe-trotting With AMT One hundred twenty years. Four generations. An impressive amount of time for an organization to represent and support your industry. Equally noteworthy are the 30-plus years we have been helping members sell into foreign markets. Toward the end of the 1980s, Al Moore, AMT’s then-president and former chairman, and the AMT board were looking for a way to assist members in a hot, new market: the former Soviet Union. An office was set up in Zurich due to Swiss neutrality, and a local national was hired to travel back and forth on behalf of members. Since then, AMT has set up offices and Tech Centers in China, Mexico, India, Brazil, and Europe and helped more than 350 members increase export sales through a variety of products and services. Recently, geopolitics and the manufacturing supply chain have shifted the opportunity landscape. So, where next? We have ideas and a focus, but we’d also like to hear from you about emerging international markets you may be interested in pursuing. Program Funding Center Stage in Washington Before the August congressional recess, Congress adopted the bipartisan Chips and Science Act of 2022 (CHIPS+). CHIPS+ includes more than $52 billion in funding to boost semiconductor production in the United States. In addition, it authorizes $102 billion over five years for science and technology efforts at the National Science Foundation, departments of Commerce and Energy, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). These authorized programs, several of which benefit manufacturers, must be funded either with existing money or through the appropriations process. Now that Congress is back in Washington, appropriations are next up on the agenda. So far, the House has approved a package of six of the 12 funding bills, while the Senate has passed none. Given the work that still needs to be done and the elections on the horizon, it’s likely that Congress will continue existing funding levels until after the midterms. That means it may be a while until the full benefits of CHIPS+ are realized. ADVOCACY

The Manufacturing Technology Series connects decision-makers from diverse industries with leading suppliers of advanced manufacturing technology, equipment and tooling. The Manufacturing Technology Series 2023: Four Regions . One Mission .

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6/23/22 5:05 PM