Background
Support for Strong and Resilient Supply Chains
ACI advocates for policies that support robust and resilient supply chains. This ensures the continued growth of U.S. manufacturing and international competitiveness through steady access to key ingredients for the formulation and production of U.S.-made cleaning products. As part of this goal, ACI supports the trilateral US-Canada-Mexico Agreement (USCMA) and calls for fair trade policies, robust conflict resolution processes and regulatory alignment among our North American trading partners.
Why It Matters
Accelerating domestic manufacturing
The cleaning products industry is a net exporter of goods, delivering more exports internationally than imports received for domestic manufacturing. However, the industry still requires the import of specific niche products that are not available domestically.
Ensuring the availability of these critical inputs, including strategic resources key to manufacturing facility investments, preserves American companies’ confidence and continued investment in domestic production.
What’s Next
Increasing Local Manufacturing
ACI, along with industry partners, advocates for policies that strengthen domestic manufacturing by:
- Considering duty-free imports on essential materials and inputs that are unavailable or in limited supply in the U.S., but necessary for domestic manufacturing.
- Considering duty-free imports on essential materials and inputs that are unavailable or in limited supply in the U.S., but necessary for domestic manufacturing.
- Rebates for investments made in the U.S. on domestic manufacturing expansions or upgrades, as well as research and development.
- Establishing a regular dialogue between U.S. government officials and manufacturers to discuss potential adjustments to optimize domestic manufacturing.
Frequently Asked Questions
USMCA took effect July 2020 and benefits North American workers, farmers, ranchers, manufactures and businesses by creating more balanced, reciprocal trade supporting high-paying jobs for Americans and growing the North American economy.
Certain raw materials and specialty inputs are not produced domestically or are only available in limited quantities in the U.S. Access to these inputs enables U.S.-based manufacturers to operate efficiently, expand production and remain globally competitive.
Tariffs on essential inputs can increase production costs for U.S. manufacturers, discourage investment in domestic facilities and ultimately make U.S. made products less competitive in global markets.
The USMCA promotes predictable market access and dispute resolution mechanisms, ensuring consistent market access for U.S. manufacturers across North America. This reduces uncertainty and supports integrated supply chains that strengthen U.S. manufacturing.
Regulatory alignment helps prevent unnecessary barriers, reduces compliance burdens and allows manufacturers to source inputs efficiently while maintaining safety and environmental standards.
By ensuring access to essential inputs and encouraging investment in domestic manufacturing, trade policies help sustain and grow high-quality manufacturing jobs across the U.S.