Amidst a supply chain crisis and now war, Americans are beginning to look inward. “Made in America” has reemerged as a national priority. Patriotism is on the rise.

In his State of the Union address, President Biden alluded to “the rebirth of pride that comes from stamping products ‘Made in America,’ [and] the revitalization of American manufacturing.” The Biden administration is now directing the federal government to “buy America,” requiring a higher share of U.S.-made parts for goods purchased by the public sector. In doing so, President Biden is following in the footsteps of his predecessor and responding to the increasingly patriotic sentiment among Americans.

We feel the same way in Maine, understanding that issues in the rest of the world affect us here. If anything, today’s global issues make it all the more important to strengthen the U.S. economy from within and expand domestic output across economic sectors. “Reshoring” – the concept of bringing product manufacturing and services back to the United States – is at the top of the economic wish list.

Maine can play a pivotal role on this front. Most Mainers may not know it, but there is already an organization making reshoring possible in our state: The Maine International Trade Center (MITC). As Maine’s leading source for international business assistance, MITC consults Maine employers and connects them to the global marketplace, expanding the global market for products and services from Maine. For example, MITC has been invaluable for my business park, Oakland-based FirstPark, in defining international markets and reaching global prospects for the park.

In a globalized economy, organizations like MITC empower Maine-based companies—some of which reside at FirstPark—to reach consumers worldwide and support jobs here. This includes smaller businesses, not just large corporations. More than 80 percent of Maine exporters are small- and medium-sized businesses, leveraging entrepreneurship for global impact.

Trade means a lot to Maine: In 2021, more than 2,000 Maine businesses exported nearly $3 billion in goods and services to 173 foreign markets. International trade supports more than 176,000 jobs in Maine—over 20 percent of all Maine jobs. And those jobs are possible because MITC supports exporters and importers alike.

The power of MITC goes to show that Mainers need to form a united front in making “Made in America” a reality. From the Biden administration to organizations like MITC and business parks such as FirstPark, those who believe in the concept of reshoring must operate with that singular goal in mind. We are all in this together.

There are hundreds of thousands of jobs at stake, if not millions. Last year, the United States added more than 220,000 jobs from reshoring – up from a record 160,000 jobs in 2020. And that happened in the middle of a global pandemic. Those jobs could come to Maine too.

We are on the right track, but only if we keep up the momentum. Reshoring changes American lives for the better. It rewards Americans with newfound financial security. It allows them to climb the career ladder—a ladder that may not have existed before. And it puts the “innovation” back into America’s “innovation economy.” After decades of outsourcing and years of pandemic economics, reshoring can guide us to a better and brighter future.

Fortunately, the Maine International Trade Center is on our side, bringing that future within reach for all of us. Let’s never lose sight of that fact.

— Special to the Press Herald

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