​On March 25th the U.S. Court of International Trade released its opinion rejecting the challenge of the American Institute for International Steel Inc. (AIIS) vs. United States that alleged the enforcement of the President’s tariffs on certain steel imports under Section 232 was an improper delegation of legislative authority in violation of the Constitution. The US Court of International Trade found it was bound by precedent and as such, found in favor of the United States in the delegation of such authority.
 
AIIS not only immediately filed a notice of appeal with the Court of Appeal for the Federal Circuit, but also filed papers requesting that the U.S. Supreme Court allow them to bypass the Appeals Court. AIIS notes in their request it would be a waste of resources to go through the year-long process knowing the Appeals Court is bound by the same precedent. They also argued that the matter is urgent as the President is considering launching another round of Section 232 tariffs on imported automobiles.
 
It is rare for the Supreme Court to honor such a request and it will take four out of nine Justices to agree to hear the case for it to proceed. 

​Option 1:
Easy as 1-2-3.

1. Get discounts by joining the NATM Shipping Program, managed by PartnerShip®. Save up to 29% off of your FedEx® small package shipping. * It’s easy and free. Enroll now or, call

800-599-2902.

1. Once you have your discounts, enroll for My FedEx Rewards®. Start earning gift cards for your favorite brand-name restaurants, retailers, and merchandise when you ship.
2. Make your first qualifying shipment and earn a $10 gift card of your choice. Terms apply. **

 
Get fast, reliable shipping. And add on savings and rewards.
 
*includes a bonus 5% online processing discount. Full details available at https://www.partnership.com/micro-site/small-package/44natm?utm_source=association&utm_medium=content&utm_campaign=PS(7981.
**The $10 gift card offer is only valid for 7 days after signing up for My FedEx Rewards. Offer valid for a limited time. For customers to earn the gift card for My FedEx Rewards, they must ship with and invoice back to the FedEx shipping account number registered for this program. Eligible shipments include: FedEx International First®, FedEx International Priority®, FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution®, FedEx International Priority Plus®, FedEx International Economy®, FedEx International MailService®, FedEx First Overnight®, FedEx Priority Overnight®, FedEx Standard Overnight®, FedEx 2Day® A.M., FedEx 2Day®, FedEx Express Saver®, FedEx 1Day® Freight, FedEx 2Day® Freight, FedEx 3Day® Freight, FedEx International Priority® Freight, FedEx International Economy® Freight, FedEx Ground®, FedEx Ground Multiweight®, FedEx Home Delivery®, FedEx International Ground®, FedEx International Ground® Distribution.
My FedEx Rewards may be modified or terminated at any time without notice. Only qualifying transactions count toward program rewards. For more details, please read My FedEx Rewards Terms and Conditions.
 
Option 2:
Enjoy a $10 gift card and so much more!
First, join the NATM Shipping Program, managed by PartnerShip®. You can receive FedEx discounts of up to 29% for your small package shipping. Or, call 800-599-2902. Once you have your discounts, enroll in My FedEx Rewards® and when you ship, you can earn gift cards of your choice. It’s easy and free to join both programs. You’ll earn your $10 gift card when you make your first qualifying shipment. Terms apply.

The NATM Board of Directors submitted a series of changes to the Bylaws to those of the NATM membership that hold voting rights as outlined in the Bylaws for approval. Some of the changes reflect the evolution of NATM since its inception and better clarifies practices. Other changes reflect changes in policy that need to be made before action can be taken.
 
The window for voting has closed and the membership has approved the changes as submitted.
 
While many of the changes have little impact on the membership directly, these changes have helped the NATM staff and Executive Committee work more efficiently. These changes include:

• Updating the definition of Associate Members to include the wide array of products and services provided.
• Removing product liability insurance as a primary objective of NATM’s work.
• Noting that NATM must report to its members on actions related to regulations, laws, and rules.
• Allowing the Executive Committee actions to be effective immediately, as purposed, rather than requiring further Board ratification.
• Clarify and maintain the due date of membership dues payments to be January 31.
• Clarify the ability of NATM designated staff to move funds between bank accounts to cover payroll.
• Updating meeting notice requirements to account for electronic notice and waiver methods.

 
However, the membership can expect to see one significant change with the renewal process. Beginning with 2020 renewals, NATM members failing to pay their dues by the Jan. 31 deadline will have all membership benefits suspended until outstanding dues payments are made. NATM will continue to give members until May 1 to pay their dues without cancelling their membership as outlined in the Bylaws, however the Association will no longer provide the member benefits such as compliance consultations, technical support, advertising opportunities, educational content such as Tracks magazine, and the like during the time of their delinquency.
 
If you have questions about these changes or would like a copy of the NATM Bylaws, please contact NATM Executive Director Kendra Ansley. 

NATM’s second annual national Trailer Safety Week is just around the corner, June 2-8, 2019. This year, the Trailer Safety Week team is excited to announce an expansion in programming to include an educational webinar for trailer manufacturers and dealers for those who are unable to attend an event in person.
 
The webinar will be Tuesday, June 4th at 1 pm central. Webinar participants will learn more about Trailer Safety Week, general safe towing practices, resources available for dealers and manufacturers to distribute to their end-users and about NATM and its Compliance Verification Program. The presentation will also focus on tire recordkeeping and the role of dealers and end-users in the process as well as provide a government affairs update and more.
 
June is prime time for hauling trailers, which makes it the perfect month for this awareness campaign, but can also make it difficult for dealers and trailer manufacturers to get away from their businesses. This presentation, about an hour in length, is a perfect opportunity to learn more about trailer safety and resources that can be passed along to consumers without leaving the office.  
 
Sign up today and NATM will send you a reminder and webinar credentials closer to June 4th.

​Interested in hosting an event or becoming a Trailer Safety Ally by participating in the safety movement online? Visit www.trailersafetyweek.com/interest to sign up today!

The annual NATM Membership Directory & Buyer’s Guide will be mailed to all members in August. In order to have current and accurate company information printed in the Guide, members should login to their NATM account to verify that all information is correct.

For those who do not know their company’s login credentials: usernames and passwords can be re-sent to the main contact’s email by clicking this link.

Additionally, the main contact for your company has already received an email with editable PDF documents if changes are needed. These documents can be sent back to kelli.maydew@natm.com.
​
All changes must be received by May 31 end of day in order to be published in the Guide. Please contact Kelli Maydew at kelli.maydew@natm.com or (785) 272-4433 if you have questions or concerns.