2020 ADVOCACY ACCOMPLISHMENTS Policy Implementation in Action for Vehicle Suppliers When the pandemic closed much of the U.S. economy, MEMA was instrumental in addressing key industry concerns including:
• Designating vehicle parts employees as essential workers. • Advocating for states to make a similar designation. • Tracking state and local COVID-19 regulations. • Helping Congress pass more than $3.4 trillion in four
broad relief packages, including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) relief for small businesses and the Main Street Lending Program (MSLP) for medium-sized businesses.
• Creating an open dialogue on the impact COVID-19 had in Mexico and other trading partners.
Trade USMCA For much of 2020, the implementation of the USMCA was a critical focus for vehicle suppliers. During the process, MEMA actively engaged with the White House, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), and United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The Association:
• Was critical in attaining final Senate passage of USMCA. MEMA’s strong efforts were recognized when senior MEMA leaders were invited to the White House for the USMCA signing ceremony.
• Led industry efforts on identifying, drafting, and passing
legislation to address the error in the agreement regarding the refundability of Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF).
• Worked closely with the industry and the administration to address the new, complex USMCA Rule of Origin provisions.
Tariffs • MEMA submitted comments on the Section 232 Exclusions Process and Section 232 Electrical Steel Investigation.
• MEMA opposed the reinstatement of the Sec 232 tariffs on Canada.
• MEMA supported the extension of existing product exclusions for Section 301 tariffs.
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Other Trade Policy Advocacy • MEMA continued to lead policy discussions about the
impact trade has on the vehicle supplier industry. For example, MEMA testified before the U.S. International Trade Commission about the economic impact of trade agreements and submitted a letter to key congressional committees – Senate Finance and House Ways and Means – regarding 2020 Trade Policy Agenda.
• Export Controls • MEMA submitted comments to the Department of
Commerce regarding its review of controls on certain foundational technologies.
• MEMA supported efforts to seek clarifications “military end use” vis-à-vis trade controls.
Vehicle Safety The regulatory agenda remained muted during most of 2020. There are a few legislative activities with regulatory and policy implications on vehicle safety.
• MEMA strongly advocated for retaining the 5.9 GHz
spectrum for vehicle communications and opposed the Federal Communication Commission’s decision to split the spectrum and share bandwidth for other unlicensed devices and applications.
• MEMA and Alliance of Automotive Innovation sent a joint letter to NHTSA urging them to issue a proposed rule to allow domestic manufacturers temporary exemptions for research, demonstrations and other purposes. In the last days of the Trump Administration, NHTSA issued a preview notice of an Interim Final Rule, but it was never officially published in the Federal Register.
