Manufacturers Highlight Dozens of Regulatory Actions the Trump Administration Can Take to Support Manufacturing Growth

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Industrial Fasteners Institute (IFI), along with more than 100 manufacturing associations, sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump laying out a roadmap of regulatory actions across a wide range of agencies that the incoming administration can take to boost manufacturing growth in the United States.

As the letter states:

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.

To view the full list of regulations, click here.

Background:

In 2023, 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:

• The total cost of federal regulations exceeds $3 trillion each year, an amount equal to 11% of U.S. GDP.
• Federal regulations cost the manufacturing sector about $350 billion per year.
• Small manufacturers with fewer than 50 employees face disproportionate regulatory burdens, incurring costs of more than $50,000 per employee per year to comply with federal regulations.
• Since 2012, there has been a $465 billion increase in aggregate regulatory compliance costs.

The Industrial Fasteners Institute is part of the NAM’s Council of Manufacturing Associations (CMA). 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