MT Magazine May/June 2022

JOB SHOPS ISSUE

10

MANUFACTURING MATTERS

INTERNATIONAL

Opportunities Abound in Mexico Elsewhere in this issue is a nice piece about U.S. job shops with data that can certainly help you focus your sales strategy in this important customer sector. Speaking of which, have you looked across the border at Mexico? The job shop health there is impressive and a major contributor to the country’s industrial GDP growth of more than 4% this past year. There are more than 130,000 metalworking job shops in Mexico, with about 25,000 employing more than 15 people. The nearshoring phenomenon and recent regional trade agreement is keeping them quite busy in the automotive, aerospace, machinery, medical, and oil and gas spaces, among others. Same as here. However, in Mexico, the need to increase volume and complexity capabilities is huge. Translation: Opportunities! If you also offer training and in-house financing, you are a shoo-in. Tip: AMT has a Tech Center in Mexico to assist you in capturing this market.

ADVOCACY

Limited Progress on Tariffs President Joe Biden has primarily left in place the $350 billion in Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods levied by the Trump administration, stating that China has made little progress in its commitments under the Phase One trade agreement negotiated in 2020. InMarch, some positive news came when the U.S. trade representative reinstated tariff exclusions in 352 categories of products out of a possible 549. The exclusions include specific machinery, electrical equipment, chemicals, plastics, and automotive parts and will apply fromOct. 12, 2021, through Dec. 31, 2022. Elsewhere, the United States and U.K. reached an agreement to partially remove Section 232 tariffs imposed by the previous administration on steel and aluminum. The new deal establishes a tariff-rate quota that will allow a certain amount of steel and aluminum to enter the United States without duties. However, shipments from the U.K. above that level would still be subject to the duties. Visit USTR.gov for additional information on U.S. tariffs and trade policy.

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