Our work is centered around four values that make our industry strong and America exceptional: free enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty and equal opportunity.
The men and women of the NAM’s Board of Directors are committed to advancing the values that make manufacturing strong and America exceptional
Our leadership team works every day to strengthen manufacturing and advance America’s competitiveness.
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Watch: the history of manufacturing in America, and how manufacturers are shaping the next 250 years.
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Our work is centered around four values that make our industry strong and America exceptional: free enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty and equal opportunity.
The men and women of the NAM’s Board of Directors are committed to advancing the values that make manufacturing strong and America exceptional
Our leadership team works every day to strengthen manufacturing and advance America’s competitiveness.
Celebrating America 250
Watch: the history of manufacturing in America, and how manufacturers are shaping the next 250 years.
Our Policy Agenda
Policy Issues
Association Partners
In the Courts
The leading voice of manufacturers in the courts, advancing the industry’s priorities through litigation and amicus briefs.
Member programs that strengthen your bottom line.
Innovation and Transformation
Workforce Solutions
Stay Informed
Get the news you need to build your future. With insight from industry leaders, learn what’s happening and what’s coming next.
From the Newsroom
The NAM drives coverage and provides up-to-date information about the manufacturing industry across the United States. Find press releases here.
By the Numbers
Join the NAM
For Small and Medium Manufacturers
Washington, D.C. – Today, the National Association of Manufacturers, along with more than 100 manufacturing associations, sent a letter to President Donald Trump laying out a roadmap for regulatory actions across a wide range of agencies that would boost the manufacturing economy and put a stop to the regulatory onslaught that is costing manufacturers $350 billion each year.
Manufacturers have made the case that unbalanced, unworkable regulations severely impact our ability to grow and create jobs. Today’s letter lays out specific steps the new administration can take to reverse the trend of federal agency overreach—providing much-needed regulatory certainty to manufacturers and empowering the industry to continue to make the long-term investments that drive job creation, growth and economic competitiveness here in the United States.
The letter states, in part:
Dear President-elect Trump,
Right now, regulations are strangling our economy. Manufacturers are shouldering enormous regulatory compliance costs—nearly $350 billion annually, or 12% of our entire sector’s contribution to U.S. GDP. For smaller manufacturers with fewer than 50 employees, these costs can exceed $50,000 per employee each year. This means that a small manufacturer with just 20 employees pays $1 million per year to comply with federal regulations—rather than investing those funds in raises or new jobs.
The regulatory onslaught reached a fever pitch during the Biden administration. Prior to the election, the National Association of Manufacturers surveyed the industry and found a significant decline in optimism among manufacturers, with an unfavorable business climate, particularly taxes and regulations, cited as a primary business challenge by more than 60% of respondents.
You have the opportunity to tackle this challenge by addressing burdensome regulations that are stifling investment, making us less competitive in the world, limiting innovation and threatening the very jobs we are all working to create right here in America.
The letter highlights more than three dozen regulatory actions the Trump administration can take to support manufacturing growth, including the following:
To view the full letter and list of regulations, click here.
Background:
In 2023, the NAM, along with members of the NAM’s Council of Manufacturing Associations and Conference of State Manufacturers Associations, launched the Manufacturers for Sensible Regulations coalition to address the impact of the regulatory onslaught coming from federal agencies.
An NAM-commissioned analysis on the cost of federal regulations to the U.S. economy shows the following:
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The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.91 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.
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The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) works for the success of the more than 13 million people who make things in America.
Representing small businesses to global leaders—in every industrial sector, we are the nation’s most effective resource and most influential advocate for these values and for manufacturers across the country.
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