An article about CPA’s Task Force Hearing, published by Malia Spencer in the Pittsburgh Business Times blog.  Malia Spencer covers technology and manufacturing at the Pittsburgh Business Times. Click here to see the article as published in the Business Times blog. Discussions between business groups, labor, manufacturers and government continued…

The following was an article by Malia Spencer published in the Pittsburgh Business Times on Friday, 8/20/10 about CPA’s Western PA Task Force Policy Hearing on 8/25/10. Click here to get to the article online. Building off the economic gathering held here in April, members of two groups are convening…

Thomas Friedman champions free trade with a simple, cartoonish view of the topic.  He loves trade agreements even though he – literally – never read one (the title page was good enough for his “analysis”).  He is impervious to facts. Today, he writes that – duh – the economic times…

The following article appeared in American Metal Market on August 6, 2010. PITTSBURGH — Eleven U.S. senators are looking to expand the powers of the U.S. Commerce Department in areas such as anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations, drawing kudos from steel industry players. Sens. Ron Wyden (D., Ore.) and Olympia…

Dear Friends: At the Western PA Summit in April, stakeholders from business to labor to economic development and elected officials determined that 1) REBALANCING TRADE and 2) SMART TAX to promote the global competitiveness of domestic producers are the top two long-term strategies to revitalize manufacturing, create good jobs, and…

Dear Friends: At the Western PA Summit in April, stakeholders from business to labor to economic development and elected officials determined that 1) REBALANCING TRADE and 2) SMART TAX to promote the global competitiveness of domestic producers are the top two long-term strategies to revitalize manufacturing, create good jobs, and…

The following commentary from Manufacturing and Technology News was written by Brian O’Shaughnessy, Chairman of Revere Copper Products and Co-Chair of Manufacturing for CPA. The media debate about the potential U.S. adoption of a value-added tax (VAT) has missed the mark. Strategically employed, a VAT can legally promote and protect…

The new Conservative government in the UK has a new plan to reduce the deficit.  It includes raising the VAT that U.S. exporters pay at the UK border from 17.5% to 20%.  All WTO legal.  American companies get to help pay down British debt, and become 2.5% less price competitive…

I continue getting notices from the government when a waiver is requested from the Buy American provisions of the 2009 Stimulus Bill.  Remember that big fight?  Why it is protectionist to Buy American like China buys domestic?  The bill requires public notices whenever a waiver is sought on government funded…

The following article by N. Gregory Mankiw, professor of economics at Harvard and an advisor to President George W. Bush,  appeared in the NY Times here. 

THE policy world is abuzz with talk about whether a value-added tax should be part of the solution to our long-term fiscal problems. Most recently, Paul A. Volcker, head of President Obama’s economic advisory board, said a VAT was “not as toxic an idea” as it used to be.

But is it actually a good idea? Regardless of whether your politics lean left or right, the VAT gives you some things to love and some to hate.