For Immediate Release: December 18, 2008
Contact: Seamus Kraft/Michael Brown (202) 482-3809
Commerce Official Releases Report on Promoting U.S. Competitiveness
WASHINGTON – U.S. Commerce Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing and Services (MAS) William G. Sutton announced the release of a report Promoting Competitiveness: Partnerships and Progress of the Office of Manufacturing and Services during speeches to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers and the National Academies of Science’s Board of Manufacturing and Engineering Design. The report outlines the work MAS has undertaken to enhance the competitiveness of U.S. industry in both the manufacturing and service sectors.
“MAS works every day to keep the federal government focused on the competitiveness of U.S. industry. This report gives stakeholders an inside look at how we help create a positive, pro-business environment in which private industry can thrive and create jobs,” said Sutton. “MAS is uniquely positioned at the nexus of the public and private sectors to assess the long-term impact Washington has on the shop floor, becoming the go-to office for reliable, practical and actionable advice on pro-growth policymaking.”
MAS is the government’s foremost concentration of industry experts, covering over 90 percent of all U.S. industries. Working with the advisory committee system, providing comprehensive analysis of regulations, and advising on trade negotiations, MAS serves as the chief advocate for U.S. domestic and international competitiveness within the Federal policymaking process.
Since MAS was created in 2004, it has focused on conducting regulatory analysis, helped to remove tariff and non-tariff barriers to U.S. exports, and helped to shape the domestic and international policy debate. The report highlights MAS’s work with 20 advisory committees representing diverse industry sectors to receive “boots on the ground” intelligence into the needs and practices of U.S. businesses.
The report also highlights on-going MAS projects, including the Manufacturing 2040 Initiative and the Sustainable Manufacturing Initiative (SMI). Manufacturing 2040 represents MAS’s commitment to continuing American competitiveness through understanding the challenges and opportunities industry will face between today and 2040. SMI seeks to promote manufacturing methods that are non-polluting, conserve energy and natural resources and are economically sound and safe for employees, communities and consumers.
For more information on the MAS report, Promoting Competitiveness: Partnerships and Progress of the Office of Manufacturing and Services, please visit:
http://trade.gov/media/Publications/abstract/mas-competitiveness2008desc.html.
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