You may have noticed that the March/April 2025 issue of
BoxScore did not have a
Legislative Report column. The second Trump administration had just been sworn in, and tariffs had been imposed on Canada and Mexico—and then suspended for one month.
The newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was just getting started.
There was promise. There were questions. There was uncertainty. We decided to take a wait-and-see a; therefore, we did not pen a column.
Two months later, uncertainty remains the key word.
From an AICC perspective, the work of DOGE is a welcome and necessary review of how the federal government staffs and conducts business. Every enterprise has reviewed staffing and operations on a periodic basis and made appropriate adjustments. I do not believe our government has, ever. That said, we would like to see DOGE act on a forward-looking basis and ensure all administrative processes are followed properly. This will ensure an orderly and least disruptive approach to the necessary downsizing of the federal bureaucracy.
The approach the second Trump administration has taken on tariffs with our closest neighbors has created tremendous uncertainty in our industry and the marketplace at large. Setting aside the political arguments surrounding tariffs and the deviation from the current United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade, the tit-for-tat nature of the tariff fight is hurting AICC member companies. Paper is transacted in U.S. dollars, so our Mexican and Canadian members may already be suffering from an exchange rate factor. Paper, sheets, and boxes often go back and forth across the southern and northern borders several times before going to the end user. Tariffs can drive changes in supply chains that have only recently stabilized after the shocks from the COVID-19 pandemic. AICC is committed to open markets and believes the U.S. should negotiate with our best and closest partners to effect changes in trade policies.
Meanwhile, AICC, through its partners on Capitol Hill, continues to support policies favorable to the small businesses that comprise AICC’s membership. These include:
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- Establishment of the 2017 tax cuts as permanent;
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- Importance the Section 199A deduction plays in AICC members’ ability to innovate, hire, and succeed;
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- Elimination of the Corporate Transparency Act; and
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- Influence we can have on the evolution of extended producer responsibility obligations.
AICC will continue to advocate for its members and keep them informed in a timely manner as events, policy, and legislation unfold.
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Eric Elgin is owner of Oklahoma Interpak and chairman of AICC’s Government Affairs subcommittee. He can be reached at 918-687-1681 or
eric@okinterpak.com.
