The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) today called on Congress to boost infrastructure spending, releasing a report that tallied the economic costs of congestion on manufacturers and set a group of core infrastructure policy pillars.
According to the NAM, congestion is levying a heavy toll on U.S. manufacturing productivity. The group’s analysis holds that:
- highway congestion costs manufacturers more than $25 billion annually and results in over 65 million hours of delays in freight carrying finished goods and critical inputs each year.
- that impact can be seen where key logistics nodes intersect with the nation’s 25 worst freight bottlenecks, revealing more than 2 million hours of annual delays incurred and faced by manufacturers.
- congestion at container and bulk ports cost manufacturers more than $13 billion annually in carrying costs and demurrage charges.
To fix those problems, the NAM is urging Congress to pass robust infrastructure investments and reauthorize critical federal highway programs before the Surface Transportation Bill expires on September 30. Specifically, the NAM’s policy roadmap outlined four pillars for a robust surface transportation reauthorization:
- continuing robust investment levels for federal infrastructure, including by developing long-term solutions for Highway Trust Fund solvency
- strengthening supply chains across transportation modes
- investing in water infrastructure that will support manufacturing growth and public health
- reforming burdensome permitting laws and regulations to ensure federal infrastructure investments are made efficiently and responsibly
“Manufacturers need modern, reliable infrastructure to create more jobs, grow our economy and keep America competitive,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “From roads and bridges to ports and airports, from highways to runways and waterways, 21st-century infrastructure means supply chains that deliver, commutes that work and communities that thrive. That’s why policymakers must act with urgency this year to invest in robust American infrastructure by passing a strong surface transportation reauthorization bill and commonsense, comprehensive permitting reform.”
