In advance of National Manufacturing Day, which takes place each year on the first Friday of October, NMA President and CEO Hal Quinn issued the following statement:
National Manufacturing Day provides an important rallying point for everyone who supports manufacturing and offers the opportunity to collectively show the public how important manufacturing is to our economy and society.
Mining and manufacturing are linked together, two essential industries that are the backbone of America’s economy and which together provide a high standard of living and quality of life for the United States. Mined minerals and metals are the front end of the manufacturing supply chain, literally where the manufacture of automotive, high-tech devices, medical equipment, weapons systems and energy generation begins.
Recognizing this essential linkage, NMA commissioned a just-released study, U.S. Mines to Market, by SNL Metals and Mining that tracks domestic supply chains for U.S. mined minerals and metals and their contribution to American manufacturing. The report reveals that the nation’s mining sector is ideally positioned to support manufacturers’ needs for greater sustainability and shorter supply chains in producing high quality products. The study cautions, however, that an outdated and inefficient mining permitting system presents a barrier to American companies’ access to the mined minerals they need, and thus to economic competitiveness.
In light of manufacturing’s important role in the economy and its vital link to mining, NMA will continue to seek public policies that provide a more predictable and efficient permitting process so U.S. mining can provide U.S. manufacturers with the raw materials they need and ensure world-class products are Made in America.