I was greatly disappointed to read Doug Bartholomew's erroneous account of an alleged "civil war" between large and small manufacturers, and even more disappointed to read your ill-informed criticism of the National Association of Manufacturers. In ...
We have a diverse membership at the NAM that is well represented on our Board of Directors and advisory committees. The concerns of our small and medium-sized members about China's unfair trade policies are front and center of our agenda. We have single-handedly led the fight against China's currency manipulation -- a fact which you grudgingly acknowledge -- and against other unfair trade practices in general. The challenge, and it is a daunting one, is to persuade some major trading partners to play by the rules without setting off a destructive round of protectionism.
Your comment about CAFTA is also without basis. Our trade deficit with countries with which we have free trade agreements is shrinking rapidly -- down 25 percent this year - even as it rises with countries without free trade agreements.
The members of the NAM speak with one voice on the core challenges to our ability to compete: reducing production costs at home, achieving a level playing field with our foreign trading partners, preparing a 21st century workforce and encouraging more investment in R&D and productivity. Small and medium-sized manufacturers have a strong voice in setting our agenda and policies. To suggest otherwise is simply wrong.
