Last week, Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley helped pass an amendment to the funding outline for fiscal year 2014 that includes measures to strengthen enforcement of U.S. trade agreements and U.S. trade laws.

Merkley explained: “On a level playing field, American workers and businesses can out-compete anybody in the world,” said Merkley. “The problem is that while we play by the rules, our competitors often do not. This amendment says that we need to put the focus back on enforcing our trade agreements and laws so that we have a robust manufacturing sector that provides good-paying jobs for American families.”

In an article in Oregon's Salem News, data from the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) was cited on the importance of reducing America's trade deficit:

A February 2013 report from the Alliance for American Manufacturing and the Economic Policy Institute shows that cracking down on unfair trade would create jobs and spur economic growth.

Manufacturing has always been a major contributor to Oregon's economy. A new analysis adds some context to that, reporting that the industry accounts for a larger percentage of Gross State Product in Oregon than in any other state.

According to the report from Area Development magazine, manufacturing represented 28.7 percent of GSP in 2011.

Manufacturing accounts for 10 percent of the total jobs in Oregon, a number that is rising, according to state Business Oregon Director Tim McCabe. The state's top manufacturing sectors are computers and electronics, food, wood products, fabricated metal, transportation equipment and machinery.

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