Congress Passes Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act
Lauren M. Donoghue
The Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation (RAMI) Act was included in the $1.1 trillion omnibus FY 2015 spending bill signed into law by President Obama last month. The RAMI Act passed the House in September, but had been held up in the Senate since its Committee passage in that body last April. The legislation was introduced in August 2013 by Reps. Tom Reed (R-NY) and Joe Kennedy (D-MA) and the Senate companion bill was introduced by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Roy Blunt (R-MO). The bipartisan group of Members worked together to ensure RAMI's inclusion in the omnibus spending bill. Among other provisions, the RAMI Act funds the 15 manufacturing hubs that make up the Centers for Manufacturing Innovation. The network of public-private innovation hubs will each be focused on a unique technology, material, or process relevant to advanced manufacturing.
U.S. Department of Commerce Initiates Investigations on Melamine from China and Trinidad and Tobago
Erienne Kilgore & Joshua Snead
On December 3, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced the initiation of antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on melamine from the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The petitions were filed on November 12 by King & Spalding on behalf of Cornerstone Chemical Company, the only U.S. producer of melamine. Melamine is a crystalline powder or granule typically used to manufacture melamine formaldehyde resins, which can be used in surface coatings, laminates, and textile-treatment applications in the automotive, appliance, fabric, and wood paneling industries, as well as many others. The scope of the investigations includes all melamine from the subject countries, including melamine that has been commingled with melamine produced in other countries.
In 2013, the value of U.S. imports of melamine from China and Trinidad and Tobago was $30.9 million. These investigations progressed when the U.S. International Trade Commission unanimously determined on December 29 that there is a reasonable indication that the U.S. industry is materially injured by imports of melamine from China and Trinidad and Tobago that are allegedly subsidized and sold in the United States at less than fair value. The Department of Commerce is currently scheduled to publish preliminary antidumping and countervailing duty determinations by April 21, 2015.
New Competition Announced for Manufacturing Innovation Hubs
Szymon Maziakowski and Elizabeth Owerbach
President Obama's 2014 State of the Union pledge to create 15 manufacturing innovation institutes is under way as competitions for two R&D hubs were announced on December 11.
Each hub consists of a public-private partnership of institutions such as companies and universities that are chosen from a field of applicants, as well as a government agency sponsor.
The two new hubs will lead innovation in the areas of flexible electronic components and energy efficient manufacturing techniques, and are sponsored by the Departments of Defense and Energy, respectively. The hubs will receive over $290 million in investments.
These new centers are part of a broader effort to create links between research and manufacturing communities, and thereby build an environment conducive to domestic manufacturing (see previous policy coverage from August 2014) and accompany President Obama's ongoing efforts to strengthen and celebrate American manufacturing (see coverage of the National Manufacturing Day).
For application information, visit Manufacturing.gov.
