As Donald Trump begins to settle into his new position as the 45^th president of the United States, IWLA begins to consider what this means for the warehouse logistics industry.

At nearly every step of the campaign, Trump made statements about many important issues including immigration, health care, and trade/commerce. One of particular impact to warehousing is the withdrawing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement. Instead, it has been reported that Trump will reopen the North American Free Trade Agreement. IWLA supports the TPP agreement along with other business trade groups to enhance the flow of goods internationally and level the playing field from country to country. Our exit from this agreement can slow global trade.

The campaign had a strong focus on the economy and domestic job growth. Much of Trump’s support came from the blue collar segment; those most in favor of job creation. Many policies can arise from this sentiment—the overtime rule, tax reform, and regulatory reform that makes it easier for businesses to fuel growth and create more U.S. jobs.

Trump has also vowed to repeal the Affordable Care Act. The alternative is somewhat fuzzy; but he promises it will involve lower premiums and continued widespread access to insurance. Just how this will impact employers is yet to be understood.

Congress will continue to have a Republican majority. In the Senate, the Democrats picked up the Illinois seat and retained the Harry Reid seat. Changes in the Senate made the final tally 53 Republicans and 47 Democrats. The Democrats picked up a few seats in the House, but the Republicans still have a large majority.

Note: Several House races are still too close to call at the time of this writing. In the coming weeks, President-elect Trump will announce new nominations for other leadership positions that could have an impact on IWLA’s key committees. This includes House Speaker Paul Ryan’s seat, who publicly battled with Trump during the campaign.

IWLA will continue to track new developments related to this important transition in U.S. government leadership.