PRINTING United Alliance, the voice of the printing industry, welcomes the new Trump Administration and the 119th Congress. This change presents a renewed opportunity to collaborate on advancing policies that support U.S. manufacturing, strengthen the economy, and ensure global competitiveness. The Alliance looks forward to working closely with policymakers to address key challenges and seize upon opportunities that benefit the printing industry and the broader U.S. economy.
Partnering for Economic Growth
The Alliance continues to work with the Manufacturers for Sensible Regulations Coalition to roll back an ever-increasing host of burdensome regulations. According to the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the average annual per employee cost of regulations for small manufacturers with less than 50 employees is $50,000. This cost could put a print service provider at risk and potentially drive a company out of business. We look forward to regulatory reform that will save time and resources for manufacturers from having to comply with inefficient, duplicative and unnecessarily burdensome regulations.
In addition, the Alliance remains committed to preserving and advancing manufacturing and tax policies that allow for investment in domestic manufacturing. Preserving the pro-business aspects of policies from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) such as the pass-through deduction, full deduction of R&D expenses, full expensing of capital investments, and others, will help American manufacturers grow the nation’s economy.
Also, lawmakers should work to simplify the tax code for small businesses, creating stability and predictability in our tax laws, and moving toward greater parity in the treatment of various business forms. For example, 83% of small firms are passthrough entities and therefore pay taxes on small-business income at the individual level. Congress must seek ways to more fairly reduce business taxes, including those on small business. The Alliance will also continue to advocate for the preservation of the advertising tax deduction and the full and permanent repeal of the federal estate tax.
Now is the time for the U.S. to demonstrate leadership on international trade as an essential tool for achieving economic and national security goals. The Alliance would like to see a trade agenda that levels the playing field for small businesses to compete in international markets, opens new markets to print service providers, negotiation of enforceable trade agreements, and coordination with key allies to reduce our reliance on foreign adversaries as a source of critical inputs.
President Trump is considering a 10% across-the-board tariff on all Chinese goods starting as early as February 1. He also threatened 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada. Such aggressive tariff policies are concerning because tariffs are a tax on Americans stifling economic growth. Instead, the Alliance would like to see the expansion of new markets for print and packaging and tariff-reducing trade agreements. We will monitor any developments and coordinate efforts with our allies at the Americans for Free Trade (AFT) and the Tariff Reform Coalition (TRC).
“We look forward to working with the new administration and Congress on several priorities, including reducing excessive government regulation, preserving competitive tax policy, promoting resilient supply chains, ensuring access to open markets, and expanding employment, investment, and production in the United States,” said Ford Bowers, CEO, PRINTING United Alliance. “We will work together to implement forward-thinking trade, tax and tariff policies, among other measures, that will ensure the printing industry remains resilient, innovative, and competitive in the years ahead.”
As the printing industry enters this new chapter, the Alliance remains steadfast in its commitment to fostering a thriving business environment. We stand ready to help print service providers to grow, innovate, and compete globally, ultimately contributing to the broader strength of the U.S. economy.
In this article, Stephanie Buka, Government Affairs Manager, PRINTING United Alliance, discusses collaboration between the Alliance and the new administration and Congress. More information can be found at Business Excellence-Legislation or reach out to Steph should you have additional questions specific to how these issues may affect your business: sbuka@printing.org.
To become a member of the Alliance and learn more about how our subject matter experts can assist your company with services and resources such as those mentioned in this article, please contact the Alliance membership team: 888-385-3588 / membership@printing.org.