Washington: US President Donald Trump has proclaimed July 19-25 as “Made in America Week”, using the occasion to renew his administration’s push to revive domestic manufacturing, promote American-made products and defend trade policies aimed at bringing factories and jobs back to the United States.
In a presidential proclamation issued on Monday, Trump described American manufacturing as the foundation of the country’s economic strength and said his administration was working to reverse what he called decades of industrial decline caused by past trade policies.
“For two and a half centuries, America’s proud legacy has been shaped by visionaries and builders who have chased excellence and reached for the impossible,” Trump said. “During Made in America Week, we celebrate the mighty engine of American manufacturing, driven by the businesses and workers who power our economy, and recommit to building a future where our greatest works are yet to come.”
The President said American craftsmanship had been central to the nation’s identity, praising workers across factories, steel mills and family-owned businesses.
“From the factory floors and steel mills to the family-owned shops that line our Main Streets, the ingenuity of our manufacturers and the labour of our workers have built the greatest industrial engine the world has ever known, making the United States the most productive and prosperous Nation in human history,” he said.
Trump argued that previous trade policies had weakened the country’s manufacturing base by shifting production overseas.
“Decades of disastrous trade policies surrendered our industrial strength to foreign nations in the name of producing cheaper goods — undercutting our workers, hollowing out our manufacturing base, and weakening our national security,” he said.
He added that “Washington bureaucrats have sold out American workers in exchange for cheap foreign labour,” saying the administration’s objective was to restore the ability to manufacture products domestically.
According to Trump, his administration’s trade policies have already produced tangible results.
“Thanks to my Administration’s landmark trade deals, we are ushering in the greatest reshoring wave in our history as companies finally return home, investing trillions of dollars into our economy and adding over 900,000 American jobs,” he said.
The proclamation also highlighted a series of administration initiatives intended to strengthen domestic industry.
Trump said he had signed an Executive Order requiring “truthful advertising of products claiming to be ‘Made in the U.S.A.'” and had directed all federal agencies to purchase American-made goods.
He also cited the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, saying it permanently extended the 20 per cent Small Business Tax Deduction, which he said would generate “$750 billion in economic growth and create over 1 million Main Street jobs”.
The administration is also providing “100 percent expensing for new factories, improvements, equipment, and research and development efforts” while removing regulations that, Trump said, had constrained manufacturers.
“The results speak for themselves: To close out the first quarter of 2026, American manufacturing added jobs for the first time in 3 years, a powerful sign that a new Golden Age of American industrial might has only just begun,” he said.
Calling every product bearing the “Made in America” label “a proud salute to the American People”, Trump urged Americans to honour workers across industries and communities.
“I… do hereby proclaim July 19 through July 25, 2026, as Made in America Week. I call upon all Americans to pay special tribute to the builders, the ranchers, the crafters, the entrepreneurs, and all those who work with their hands every day to make America great,” the proclamation said.
The “Made in America” campaign has been a central theme of Trump’s economic agenda across both of his administrations, with an emphasis on reshoring manufacturing, reducing reliance on imported goods and encouraging domestic production through tariffs, tax incentives and federal procurement policies.
(IANS)
