JUNE 2004

NAM Launches “TradeFacts” Series

Trade, outsourcing, offshoring, deficits, trade agreements, etc. are all very contentious issues this year - with widely differing views among legislators and companies. As the trade debate moves forward, it is important that individuals and policymakers base their views on facts. In an effort to publicize some of the important facts regarding trade, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) has initiated a series of "TradeFacts."

One or two of these informative pieces will be issued every week. The first three show that imports from NAFTA were not a significant factor in the loss of manufacturing jobs in the last three years, that falling exports were four times as large a factor as rising imports, and that 97% of all US exporters are small- or medium-sized firms.

Here are some points made so far:

• Manufactured goods imports from NAFTA countries are lower than when our job loss started in the US in 2000.
• Falling US demand, plunging US global exports of manufactured goods, increased productivity, rising US non-production costs and increased import penetration outside of NAFTA has contributed to the job loss.
• US exports of manufactured goods grew sharply in February 2004 - up 13% from February 2003.
• 97% of all US exporters are small-and medium-sized firms, and NAFTA countries are the leading exports for these companies.
• Official US government statistics show that in 2002 US manufacturers invested $160 billion in factories and equipment in the United States while investing $29 billion in the rest of the world. That means 85% was invested here in America, and only 15% abroad.

NAM TradeFacts will be added to each week, and are available on the NAM website at www.nam.org/trade.

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