Foreign Direct Investment in Latin America and the Caribbean 2017

184 Chapter III Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
Table III.6
United States: executive orders, January-June 2017
and autonomous driving vehicles (Welch, 2017). Similarly, soon after the President-elect
indicated that General Motors should manufacture its Chevrolet Cruze in the United States
or run the risk of paying border taxes, the firm announced that it would invest US$ 1 billion
to strengthen its manufacturing capacity in the country and that it would keep 1,500 jobs
in the United States (Reuters, 2017b).
On the basis of these initial actions, once the new Administration took office in
January 2017, the President signed executive orders on a broad range of issues, in order
to create institutions, streamline regulatory process and authorizations, and strengthen
mechanisms for boosting manufacturing in the United States (see table III.6).
Topic Decree Objective
Institutions
Trade policy
Presidential Executive Order on the establishment of
Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy (OTMP)
Presidential Memorandum Regarding Withdrawal
of the United States from the Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP) Negotiations and Agreement
To defend and serve United States workers and domestic
manufacturers while advising the President on policies to increase
economic growth, decrease the trade deficit and strengthen the
United States manufacturing and defence industrial bases.
To permanently withdraw the United States from TPP negotiations, and to begin
pursuing, wherever possible, bilateral trade negotiations to promote United
States industry, protect United States workers, and raise United States wages.
Manufacturing
Environment
Infrastructure
Enforcement
of the law
Omnibus Report on Significant Trade Deficits
Presidential Executive Order on Buy
American and Hire American
Presidential Memorandum Streamlining Permitting and
Reducing Regulatory Burdens for Domestic Manufacturing
Presidential Executive Order on Promoting Energy
Independence and Economic Growth
Executive Order Expediting Environmental Reviews and
Approvals for High Priority Infrastructure Projects
Presidential Executive Order on Establishing Enhanced
Collection and Enforcement of Antidumping and Countervailing
Duties and Violations of Trade and Customs Laws
To address the challenges to economic growth and employment that may
arise from large and chronic trade deficits and the unfair and discriminatory
trade practices of some of United States trading partners, improve
general conditions for free and fair trade and competition and ensure the
strengthening of United States manufacturing and defence industrial bases.
To maximize the use of goods, products and materials produced in the United
States to promote economic and national security, stimulate economic
growth, create good jobs at decent wages, strengthen the middle class
and support the American manufacturing and defence industrial bases.
To support the expansion of manufacturing in the United States
through expedited reviews of and approvals for proposals to
construct or expand manufacturing facilities and through reductions
in regulatory burdens affecting domestic manufacturing.
To review existing regulations that potentially burden the development or use of
domestically produced energy resources and appropriately suspend, revise, or
rescind those that unduly burden the development of domestic energy resources.
To streamline and expedite environmental reviews and approvals for
all infrastructure projects, especially projects that are a high priority for
the Nation, such as improving the electric grid and telecommunications
systems, and repairing and upgrading critical port facilities.
To ensure the timely and efficient enforcement of United States trade laws,
including antidumping and countervailing duties, and intellectual property rights.
Source: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), on the basis of The White House, “Executive Orders” [online] https://www.whitehouse.gov/
briefing-room/presidential-actions/executive-orders.
Among these new institutions, the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy (OTMP)
was created to serve domestic workers and manufacturers while advising the President
on policies to increase economic growth, decrease the trade deficit and strengthen the
country’s manufacturing and defence industrial bases. 6 This executive order —together
with those addressing preferential treatment for United States products and workers
(“buy American, hire American”), the reduction of regulatory and financial burdens on
building and expanding manufacturing plants and the construction of infrastructure to
support domestic and global trade— aims to strengthen and prioritize the country’s
industrial capabilities, including the motor vehicle industry. 7
6
See The White House, “Presidential Executive Order on Establishment of Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy” [online]
https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/05/01/presidential-executive-order-establishment-office-trade-and.]
7
Even though the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy (OTMP) and the policy of preferential treatment for products and
workers of the United States (“buy American, hire American”) are new and were warmly received by the automotive industry,
other governments have also embarked on these types of policies before; for example, the Obama Administration created the
White House Office of Manufacturing Policy, as well as a national network of technological centres known as Manufacturing
USA to boost innovation in the manufacturing sector.