By Omar S. Nashashibi, founder, Inside Beltway In 2023, Mexico surpassed China as the largest importer of goods into the US, increasing shipments by nearly 5%. Also in 2023, China’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in new facility construction and expansion in Mexico reached $5.6 billion, up from $267 million in 2018. In addition, during the first eight months of 2024, the … [Read more...] about Made in Mexico? Maybe.
Legislation / Advocacy
When Congress Does Not Act: Tax Increases
By Omar S. Nashashibi, co-founder, The Franklin Partnership, LLC What Congress giveth, it can quickly take away. This is the lesson manufacturers are quickly learning. The other hard lesson learned is that the federal government plays an outsized role in a company’s operation – whether the owner likes it or not. Research and DevelopmentOn August 1, 2024, the US Senate … [Read more...] about When Congress Does Not Act: Tax Increases
US Government: Supply Chains in Focus
By Omar S. Nashashibi, co-founder, The Franklin Partnership, LLC The COVID-19 pandemic not only awakened OEMs but also senior government officials in Washington, D.C. to the need for a reliable domestic supply chain. Starting in April 2020, as a lobbyist for manufacturing associations, I began fielding questions about downstream industries as policymakers came to the … [Read more...] about US Government: Supply Chains in Focus
The 2024 Regulatory Agenda for Manufacturing
By Omar S. Nashashibi, co-founder, The Franklin Partnership, LLC Twice a year, the US government provides manufacturers with a preview into what it has in store for them. This comes in the form of the Fall 2023 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions, which the Biden administration released in December 2023. The Regulatory Agenda, as it is known, is a list of … [Read more...] about The 2024 Regulatory Agenda for Manufacturing
Strategic Planning for 2024: Contracts, Labor Market and Tax Impacts
By Lindsey Munson, editor, The American Mold Builder In a matter of weeks, 2023 will come to a close and companies will begin the important task of analyzing the prior months to then take those learnings and build a strategic plan for 2024. Ultimately, this will paint a clear direction for management and internal teams as they head into a new year. By taking early … [Read more...] about Strategic Planning for 2024: Contracts, Labor Market and Tax Impacts
Biden’s 2024 China Tariff Strategy
By Omar S. Nashashibi, co-founder, The Franklin Partnership, LLC The Biden administration’s policies toward China not only have geopolitical implications beyond US borders, but also are a direct factor in the November 2024 elections. An Ipsos August 2023 poll proves this point well. Sixty-six percent of Americans are more likely to support a candidate who endorses … [Read more...] about Biden’s 2024 China Tariff Strategy