The Auto Care Association submitted a joint position statement to U.S. Trade Representative Robert (USTR) Lighthizer recently on behalf of the North American automotive aftermarket groups in support of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

The automotive aftermarket trade groups included the Auto Care Association representing the United States, Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA) representing Canada, and Asociación Nacional De Representantes, Importadores y Distribuidores de Refacciones y Accesorios Para Automóviles, A.C. (ARIDRA) representing Mexico.

“The regional agreement benefits the memberships of the three groups, as well as the economies of all three countries. In the auto care sector, this includes duty-free movement of raw materials, components and finished goods, and favorable investment environments for distributors and retailers seeking to expand to NAFTA countries,” according to the statement.

In the letter, the three associations strongly support maintaining NAFTA and efforts to modernize the agreement, including “expand[ing] the existing framework that protects investments, facilitates trade and creates competitive value chains that benefit our members and their customers.”

The three associations recently held a meeting during the Auto Care Association’s Spring Leadership Days in San Antonio to share information about the association’s respective programs and identify areas of collaboration, including increased access to market intelligence, education programs, trade promotion activities and technology initiatives.