As President and CEO of MEMA, The Vehicle Suppliers Association, I am proud to represent America’s largest sector of manufacturing jobs and more than 930,000 Americans who work hard every single day to keep our cars on the road in all 50 states. For the past six years, our member companies have been on the frontlines of implementing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
As the USMCA approaches its 2026 review, this monumental trade deal will inevitably face scrutiny. Recently I had the privilege to testify before the Senate Committee on Finance and shared a message from these largely main street small and medium vehicle suppliers that was unequivocal and overwhelming: President Donald J. Trump’s USMCA vision is working. We must use the review to build on that success, define new areas of cooperation that will benefit the U.S. and preserve the agreement.
Prior to USMCA, many manufacturers shifted production to capitalize on lower costs abroad, leaving American suppliers to compete in a system that frequently incentivized offshoring. President Trump rightfully recognized that we could do better. Working with leaders on both sides of the aisle in Congress, he forged a modern deal that created a more level playing field for American workers, ensured that more parts are produced in the U.S. and strengthened intellectual property protections. This multilateral framework passed the U.S. Congress with strong bipartisan support.
Implementing these changes was not easy, but the USMCA has been a clear success for American suppliers, creating jobs, strengthening our supply chains, and giving the U.S. additional leverage to counterbalance increasing Chinese influence in the auto industry. From 2019 to 2024, U.S. parts production has increased by over $37 billion dollars while the vehicle supplier sector has added 61,000 jobs. In an environment where working families are fighting to stay above water with high prices, that is a massive jobs number that our industry is very proud of. Meanwhile, exports to Canada and Mexico have increased by 46 percent and imports have fallen by 25 percent.
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