NEMA President and CEO Debra Phillips today issued the following statement in response to the tariffs placed on U.S. imports from Canada and Mexico:

“The U.S. electroindustry supports the Trump Administration’s objectives to strengthen the U.S. energy system, expand our manufacturing base and create good-paying American jobs. As the second largest U.S. exporter and second largest U.S. importer of manufactured goods, electrical manufacturers play a pivotal role in securing American energy independence and ensuring a secure and resilient grid — investing tens of billions of dollars in U.S. manufacturing and creating thousands of new jobs for American workers across the country. 

“Since 2018, the electroindustry has taken significant steps to reduce reliance on Chinese materials, decreasing China’s share of U.S. imports of electroindustry goods from 27.3% in 2018 to 17.8% in 2024, while significantly growing electroindustry trade across North America by 36%, spurred by President Trump’s USMCA.

“New trade policies must provide predictability and certainty for future domestic investments, allowing for a reasonable transition period for new large-scale manufacturing to come online and for supply chains to move. “NEMA urges the Trump Administration to reach a long-term deal that strengthens trade across North America, provides business certainty for the essential electrical industry, and facilitates our shared goals of a robust energy sector and strong U.S. manufacturing base.”