NPES Pushes for Trans-Pacifi c Partnership (TPP): Free Trade Agreements Essential to Expanding US Exports “With 95% of the world’s consumers living outside of the U.S., exporting can bring substantial benefi ts to American manufacturers and their workers,” says NPES (Booth 700) President Thayer Long. One of the ways the Association is working hard to make more international markets available to its members is by supporting the Trans-Pacifi c Partnership (TPP) and urging Congress to approve it this year. “If the U.S. doesn’t participate through TPP in setting the rules of trade in this huge and vibrant region of the world, NPES members, other U.S. manufacturers and consumers in general will be disadvantaged,” Long adds. “Many good-paying American jobs depend on exports.” TPP is a multi-lateral free trade agreement (FTA) among eleven Pacifi c-rim nations and the U.S. Six of the 11 already have FTAs with the U.S. (Australia, Canada, Chile, Mexico, Peru, and Singapore,) fi ve do not (Brunei, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Vietnam.) With a combined population of more than 490 million and an overall economy of more than $10 trillion (almost 14% of the global economy) the 11 TPP countries represent a combined market for U.S. goods and services close to the size of the European Union (EU), which (pre-Brexit) is home to nearly 510 million people and has a $16.2 trillion economy. When the U.S. is added to the 11 TPP nations the total FTA would constitute about 36% of the world economy. NPES and its allies in The U.S. Coalition for TPP, comprised of more than 400 business organizations of all sizes from diverse industries, are urging President Obama and Congress to redouble their efforts to approve TPP this year. According to NPES Government Affairs Director Mark Nuzzaco, “TPP is critical to promoting U.S. economic leadership in the Asia-Pacifi c region, as well as globally. The agreement shouldn’t be jeopardized by the current Congress failing to approve it.” Ratifi cation this year is especially important given that TPP is opposed by both major party presidential candidates, one of whom will be in the White House beginning in 2017. “This opposition to TPP is especially unfortunate,” says Nuzzaco, “given that exports spurred by FTAs like it have, according to the U.S. International Trade Administration, proven to support higher-paying U.S. jobs.” Notwithstanding campaign rhetoric to the contrary, U.S. Government data also show that FTAs have supported export increases that sustain and expand U.S. manufacturing employment. TPP will add to this by opening more markets and expanding opportunities for U.S. manufacturers. It sets strong, enforceable rules for U.S. trade with the TPP countries and will help create a fairer international trading system. Additionally, TPP contains fi rst-ever provisions to improve American competitiveness, including prohibitions on digital protectionism, new rules on fair competition with state-owned enterprises, tools to promote small business exports, stronger intellectual property rights, and good governance rules to fi ght corruption. “Exports are a very important part of our business,” says NPES Government Affairs Chairman Greg Salzman, President, Aleyant Systems, a provider of software services to the graphic communications industry, “and TPP will help facilitate signifi cant new commercial opportunities for our products in a region of the world with growing economies. U.S. companies simply can’t afford not to be competitive players in these markets.” Finally, not only will TPP help U.S. manufacturers gain greater access to export markets, but it will also have a salutary impact on U.S. manufacturers’ costs in obtaining from TPP countries raw materials not readily available in the United States, which can then be used in manufacturing U.S. made products for both domestic consumption and export. NPES invites its members to share their stories of commercial successes and challenges in exporting. And, it urges them to contact their elected members of Congress in support of FTAs in general and TPP in particular. A grassroots tool to help facilitate such messages is found at: npes.freeenterpriseaction.com/BzDrtEa For more information, contact NPES Government Affairs Director Mark J. Nuzzaco by phone: 703/264-7235 or e-mail: mnuzzaco@npes.org. Start GRAPH EXPO Right at the InPlant Breakfast Start GRAPH EXPO 16 out right with a complimentary breakfast and a chance to relax and network with your peers tomorrow from 8:45 - 10:00 am in the North Hall-Rooms N310AB. Listen to a panel of experts discuss how Web-to-Print solutions are changing the inplant business model for graphic communication organizations. You’ll hear from Steven Schnoll of Schnoll Media Consulting and Greg Bane of Aleyant and learn how to chart your own successful W2P strategy. The InPlant breakfast is sponsored by Canon Solutions America and In-Plant Graphics. Access Direct Adds Océ VarioPrint i300 to its Production Inkjet Fleet Offi cial Show Daily | PrintingNews.com GRAPH EXPO 16 16 | September 25, 2016 2016 | 59 59 ial es.s.” ort bes, tic nd to a co Looking to invest in technology to uphold their standard of superior service and quality, Access Direct Systems Inc. has invested in a variety of Canon (Booth 1500) products and solutions since 2014, including four Océ ColorStream 3900 printers and the Océ VarioPrint i300. One of the U.S.’s largest direct mail and marketing service, Access Direct, based out of Farmingdale, NY provides a full array of services to publishers, fi nancial institutions, advertising agencies, retailers, and Fortune 1000 companies, sending out over a billion pieces of mail per year. Since its acquisition of their fi rst ColorStream device in 2014, Access Direct’s printing operation is now completely made up of Canon and Océ products. When looking to expand their business and enter the high-volume, continuous feed digital inkjet color printing sector in 2014, Access Direct made the decision to acquire the Océ ColorStream 3900 digital printing system to deliver on their customers’ expectations of fast turnaround time without sacrifi cing the high quality of their prints. In the twelve month period following their acquisition of the Océ ColorStream, Access Direct experienced a “whirlwind year” where they expanded both their customer base and portfolio, leading them to invest in three more of the devices, replacing its entire toner printer fl eet. “We saw that inkjet was going to be a big player in the market, so we made the decision early on to move in that direction,” says John DiNozzi, Executive VP. “We wanted to be looked at as industry leaders, not industry followers.” In 2016, Access Direct acquired the Océ VarioPrint i300 color digital press featuring Océ iQuarius Techology to expand the growth seen as a result of their use of the ColorStream devices. The VarioPrint i300 provided Access Direct with a versatile sheet-fed, inkjet, white-paper-in-full-color-out workfl ows and the ability to utilize multiple media sources, automatic duplexing and in-line connectivity to fi nishing equipment. With the VarioPrint, Access Direct has been able to expand their customer offerings and provide them with increased opportunities for creativity. The VarioPrint has allowed Access Direct to bridge the gap between the application fl exibility of toner based sheet-fed printers and the productivity of web-fed inkjet presses. Most recently, Access Direct has been upgraded with the iQuarius ColorGrip, an inline conditioning step which immobilizes ink instantly. This upgrade opens up an extensive range of media that will allow Access Direct the ability to migrate more applications to the VarioPrint i300 and save money for their customers while driving profi ts for their company. “The VarioPrint i300 gave us a platform that allows our entire print fl eet to work more effi ciently and productively,” says Lori Messina, Executive VP of Access Direct whose shop is 100% equipped with Canon and Océ equipment. “We looked to the inkjet cutsheet digital press for shorter runs, reprints, and new applications, and suffi ce to say, the quality has been outstanding.” Océ VarioPrint i300
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