BONUS DEPRECIATION MAY BE ADDED TO SENATE BILL
May 7, 2010 – NAM Capital BriefingA one-year extension of bonus depreciation for 2010 may be added to H.R. 4849, a small business tax bill, next week in the Senate. NAM-supported bonus depreciation will allow companies of all sizes to deduct in the first year of the recovery life half of the cost of machinery and equipment purchased and placed in service this year. The House passed H.R. 4849 earlier this year, but it did not include bonus depreciation. Details: Monica McGuire, (202) 637-3076.
CHANCE OF AVOIDING GHG REGULATION FADING AWAY
May 7, 2010 – Business BriefIf Congress doesn’t get ya on greenhouse gas emissions, the Environmental Protection Agency will. More…
EPA Issues Coal Ash Proposed Rulemaking
May 7, 2010 – NAM Capital BriefingOn May 4, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its long anticipated proposal to regulate coal combustion byproducts (CCBs), or so-called “coal ash”, under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The proposal includes two options: to regulate CCBs under stringent “hazardous waste” requirements pursuant to RCRA Subtitle C; and a less stringent alternative under “solid waste” rules pursuant to RCRA Subtitle D. EPA officials are not expressing a “preferred option” and characterize each proposal as “coequal”. Under both scenarios, the EPA states it will maintain exemptions for so-called “beneficial use” of CCBs. Manufacturers oppose regulation under hazardous waste requirements because of the increased likelihood of lawsuits, among other reasons. The proposal will be subject to a 90-day comment period following publication in the Federal Register.
GERMAN INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION RISES IN MARCH
May 7, 2010 – Today in Manufacturing.net
Economy Ministry says German industrial production rose an unexpectedly strong 4 percent in March over the previous month... continue
GOV'T CRACKS DOWN ON COUNTERFEIT NETWORK EQUIPMENT
May 7, 2010 – Late Wire from Manufacturing.net
U.S. government says it has won 30 felony convictions and seized $143 million worth of counterfeit network computer equipment manufactured in China ... continue
HIRING UP IN APRIL, BUT SO IS UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
May 7, 2010 – Today in Manufacturing.net
Private employers added surprisingly strong 231,000 positions in April, the most in four years, but unemployment rate rose as 805,000 jobseekers resumed search for work... continue
Immigration Reform Efforts Continue
May 7, 2010 – NAM Capital BriefingUnder pressure from immigration rights groups to move forward on reform, Senate Democrats released a 26-page outline late last week. The Administration and Senate Democrats are now trying to use that document in an effort to recruit Republicans and achieve bipartisan support for the policies included in the outline. The goal, however, may have changed as President Obama has stated he would like to get started this year, but not necessarily complete reform this year.
THE CPSIA’S IMPACT ON SMALL AND MEDIUM MANUFACTURERS
May 7, 2010 – NAM Capital BriefingThe misguided Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) has had a devastating impact on small and medium-sized manufacturers throughout the United States. Because of the onerous regulations, many small businesses are now stuck with inventory they can no longer sell, while many others have been forced to shut down.
The NAM is working to draw attention to this issue. NAM President John Engler has noted that the law “is causing massive disruptions to industries across the board, particularly small and medium-sized companies.” Family businesses and small batch manufacturers – in many cases children’s toy or clothing producers – have essentially been outlawed because they cannot afford the mandatory testing and labeling requirements, not because their products are unsafe.
In addition to imposing high costs on small businesses to comply with the law, it has also proven disruptive for companies as they try to figure out how the constantly-changing rules apply to them. Quite simply, most small and medium-sized manufacturers lack the money and manpower to bear the significant new costs imposed.
Congress recently held a hearing on the Consumer Product Safety Enhancement Act (CPSEA), which is designed to address the flaws of the CPSIA. NAM Vice President of Infrastructure, Legal and Regulatory Policy Rosario Palmieri testified on behalf of manufacturers. His written testimony can be found here, and more details of the full hearing are available here.
Small and medium manufacturers should tell their representatives the impact the law has had on their ability to grow, compete and maintain jobs and remind them that any legislative fixes must take the needs of small businesses into consideration.
Click here to watch a video about the CPSIA. For more information on taking action, contact NAM Vice President of Infrastructure, Legal and Regulatory Policy Rosario Palmieri at rpalmieri@nam.org or (202) 637-3177.
JAPAN'S STEEL EXPORTS HIT RECORD IN FY 2009
May 7, 2010 – Late Wire From Manufacturing.net
Japanese steel exports rose 14.2 percent to a record 39 million tons in fiscal 2009 through March, boosted by a surge in Chinese demand, an industry body said ... continue
NEW COURT RULING ON TECHNOLOGY GOOD FOR YOUR WALLET
May 7, 2010 – Business BriefAll that technology at employees’ fingertips doesn’t necessarily doom you to pay employees for “after hours” work. At least that’s what this court said. More…
NEW JOBLESS CLAIMS DECLINE FOR THIRD STRAIGHT WEEK
May 7, 2010 –Today in Manufacturing.net
Labor Department said initial claims for unemployment insurance fell by 7,000 to a seasonally adjusted 444,000, dropping for the third consecutive week... continue
PRODUCTIVITY RISES 3.6 PERCENT IN 1Q
May 7, 2010 – Today in Manufacturing.net
Labor Department said productivity grew at an annual rate of 3.6 percent in the first quarter, better than the 2.5 percent increase economists had expected... continue
Senate Takes Up Financial Services Reform
May 7, 2010 – NAM Capital BriefingSenate floor action began earlier this week on S. 3217, the Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010. On the derivatives issue, Sens. Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Ranking Members of the Senate Banking and Agriculture Committees, respectively, introduced a substitute derivatives amendment May 5 that addresses many key concerns for NAM members. A floor vote on the amendment is expected next week. During the debate on financial reform, the NAM has urged policymakers to ensure that any derivatives reform effort includes a strong and clear exemption for business end-users, like manufacturers, that use customized over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives to manage risk. In addition, the NAM has called for clear exemptions from central clearing, bilateral margining and exchange-trading requirements for business end-users to avoid drawing large amounts of capital from business operations, including job creation.
The NAM has serious concerns, however, that the current exemption language in S. 3217 is not strong or clear enough to safeguard manufacturers. Other provisions in S. 3217 could effectively eliminate the exemption for many companies and, in some cases, subject them to capital and margin requirements or higher costs. It is expected that the Senate will consider a number of issues of interest to manufacturers as the debate goes on, and the NAM will continue to monitor new developments. Details: Dorothy Coleman, (202) 637-3077.
SNUGZ USA MOVES CORPORATE OFFICE
May 7, 2010 – Utah BusinessSnugZ USA is moving its corporate office from 5200 S. Highland Dr. to 1901 S.
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SUPREME COURT RULING HELPS COMPANIES DEFEND AGE-BIAS SUITS
May 7, 2010 – Business BriefGood news: Companies are starting to benefit from last year’s Supreme Court ruling on age discrimination. More…
U.S. HOUSE TO VOTE ON CASH FOR CAULKERS STIMULUS BILL
May 7, 2010 - Business Brief
Proposed legislation to provide rebates over a two-year period for homeowners to install energy-saving products would ‘create green jobs in manufacturing,’ the White House said ... continue
UNIONS USE IMMIGRATION LAW TO RECRUIT MORE WORKERS
May 7, 2010 – Business BriefThey’re back. Stung by the failure to pass the Employee Free Choice Act, unions are taking a new approach to sign up more workers: “We’ll protect you from unfair immigration laws.”
More…
URGE CONGRESS TO RESTORE THE R&D TAX CREDIT
May 7, 2010 – NAM Capital BriefingBoth the House and the Senate have passed different versions of tax extenders bill H.R. 4213, and each includes a one-year extension of the R&D tax credit. Congress now is working toward the goal of completing final action on H.R. 4213 by Memorial Day. Please use the NAM’s Contact Congress to send a pre-typed email – which can be easily edited to include company-specific information about the impact of the R&D credit – to your senators and representative. The more emails congressional offices receive, the stronger the message to Congress to act sooner rather than later to renew the credit at this critical time. For more information, click here. Details: Monica McGuire, (202) 637-3076.
WILL RISE IN CHINA’S CURRENCY AFFECT U.S. MANUFACTURERS?
May 7, 2010 – Late Wire from Manufacturing.net
Manufacturing.net’s partner publication, IMPO, recently sat down with Josh Green, CEO of Panjiva, to discuss the ongoing global pressure to allow China’s currency value to rise, and what affect that might have on U.S. manufacturing ... continue
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