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U.S. and China Agree to Hold Off on Raising Additional Tariffs

During the G-20 talks this weekend in Argentina, President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to halt new tariffs and not increase tariffs already in place.

The U.S. had been scheduled to increase tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods from 10% to 25% on Jan. 1. The agreement keeps those tariffs on thousands of products, including hundreds of types of Chinese castings at 10% for at least the next 90 days while the countries negotiate further.

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Midterm election statement from AFS CEO Doug Kurkul

“The American Foundry Society and its thousands of members congratulate the newly elected and re-elected public officials. We look forward to working with policymakers to advance a pro-manufacturing agenda that encourages capital investment, infrastructure investment, a strong defense industrial base, regulatory reform, workforce readiness policies, and vigorous enforcement of trade agreements."

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Congress passes AFS-supported water infrastructure package

A comprehensive water infrastructure bill backed by AFS won resounding support from Congress.   Lawmakers overwhelmingly approved America’s Water Infrastructure Act (S. 3021), which provides more than $6 billion in funding for water infrastructure projects nationwide. The bipartisan measure passed the Senate Oct. 10 by a vote of 99-1 after receiving unanimous approval by the House of Representatives in September.

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OSHA agrees use of non-HEPA industrial sweepers is acceptable under new silica rule

OSHA’s crystalline silica rule did not clearly state which types of industrial sweepers are permitted under its new standard. For the past several months, AFS and its attorney have been engaged in conversations with OSHA staff and their attorneys in order to clarify the types of sweepers that are acceptable under the rule.

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AFS Supports EPA’s Proposed Affordable Clean Energy Rule

On August 31, 2018 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule to address greenhouse gas emissions from existing coal-fired power plants.  This rule would replace the Obama Administration's Clean Power Plan (CPP) rule and provides greater flexibility for states in addressing emissions from existing power plants. The American Foundry Society has expressed opposition to the Clean Power Plan (CPP) from its inception.

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AFS-supported workforce legislation signed by President Trump

Key workforce legislation supported by AFS went into law July 31, when President Trump signed an act overhauling the nation’s career and technical education law.

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Commerce Department Outlines Process for Seeking Exclusions from Steel and Aluminum Tariffs

The U.S. Department of Commerce formally announced its procedures for companies seeking exemptions from the Trump administration’s recently announced tariffs on steel and aluminum product imports. The department will start accepting exclusion requests on Monday, March 19, 2018 from U.S. businesses that use the metal in manufacturing cars, trucks, construction, food packaging, beverage packaging, or other commercial activities. 

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President Trump Imposes Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum Metalcasters Concerned with Potential Rise in Metals Prices, Impact on Their Customers & Loss of Orders

On Thursday, March 8, President Trump officially signed two proclamations enacting tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum. The tariffs are set to take effect on March 23, 2018, and contain an initial exemption for Canada and Mexico, as the administration seeks broader trade concessions from both countries as it renegotiates the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

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AFS offers Members resources to attain compliance with OSHA’s Silica Rule before the June 23rd deadline

American Foundry Society members have full access to a wide array of resources designed to guide them toward compliance with OSHA’s new, more restrictive, crystalline silica rule:

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AFS Joins Legal Challenge to Ozone Regulation

A group of business associations, including the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, recently filed a petition for review to challenge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) rule that significantly lowered the primary ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) standard from 75 ppb to 70 ppb.

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