by Brianna Crandall — December 19, 2012—A 284-page report on the state of U.S. remanufactured goods, industries and markets that was recently published by the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) is a long-awaited and groundbreaking resource document, according to the Remanufacturing Industries Council (RIC), the industry’s leading trade organization.
RIC Chairman Jack Stack described the report, Remanufactured Goods: An Overview of the U.S. and Global Industries, Markets and Trade, as “the most up-to-date and comprehensive overview of domestic remanufacturing ever issued by the federal government. It finally corrects the misperception that remanufacturing is only a minor subsector of American industry.”
Stack noted that the report formally defines remanufacturing as “an industrial process that restores end-of-life goods to their original working condition,” which in his opinion should serve as the standard definition for the industry. Types of products that are currently remanufactured include air-conditioning units, carpet tiles, compressors, computer and telecommunication equipment, office furniture, office photocopiers (laser toner cartridges) and vending machines, to name a few.
Among the report’s key findings are:
- The United States is the world’s largest remanufacturer.
- Remanufacturing represents an important and growing segment of U.S. manufacturing.
- From 2009 to 2011, the value of U.S. remanufactured production grew by 15% to at least $43B.
- Remanufacturing accounts for approximately 180,000 full-time U.S. jobs.
- In 2011, U.S. exports of remanufactured goods totaled $11.7B; close to 40% of the total went to free trade agreement partners.
Stack said, “We in RIC are honored to have contributed to the development of this publication,” adding that RIC members provided USITC with extensive testimony and background information.
