Welcome to the latest ISSA Legislative & Regulatory Update, a biweekly roundup of the public-policy issues currently impacting the full cleaning supply chain. This update touches on the latest pertinent information as the tariff situation continues to evolve, casting your vote for the top Spotless Space, the last chance to influence a new Congress at the 2025 ISSA Clean Advocacy Summit, and more.

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ISSA Advocacy

Tariff Update

What it means: The following summarizes the latest pertinent information as the tariff situation continues to evolve:

• On March 6, the Trump administration postponed the 25% tariff on Mexican and Canadian goods covered by the 2020 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), along with a 10% tariff on Canadian energy exports until April 2.

  The exclusion from International Emergency Economic Powers Act tariffs for products from Mexico and Canada applies to goods entered or withdrawn from a warehouse at or after 12:01 am EST on March 7, 2025. It is our understanding that the tariffs still apply on goods that entered the U.S. between 12:01 am March 4 and midnight March 7 and that refunds should not be expected.

• The additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods that went into effect on March 4 continues to be applied, now totaling 20% on top of any other tariff that may be in effect.
• New 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports took effect on March 12. Unlike previous Section 232 tariffs, there will not be a product exclusion process or country exceptions (most notably Canada and Mexico). The administration has mentioned that there will be a process in place to include more downstream derivative products under the tariffs, which would be on top of any other existing tariffs.

  Responding to Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs, Canada said that it would impose a levy on an additional US$20.7 billion in U.S. imported goods. Similarly, the European Union also announced retaliatory tariffs.

• President Trump announced that beginning on April 2, the U.S. will impose “reciprocal” tariffs on imports to be consistent with the levies that other countries charge U.S. manufacturers for exporting their goods. It is currently unclear how these reciprocal duties will be calculated or implemented.
• A February 13 Presidential Memorandum calls for the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative to address any other non-reciprocal policies of our trade partners.

Why it matters: Tariffs may increase the costs of manufacturing and purchasing cleaning-related products both in the United States and in other countries. Prolonged tariffs on key allies and trading partners also could create cash-flow challenges and supply-chain disruptions for distributors. And customers may experience a diminished ability to pay for cleaning-related products and services.
What ISSA is doing: ISSA opposes tariffs on components and raw materials used for “essential” cleaning and safety products and equipment. The current situation surrounding tariffs remains fluid, and we will continue to keep our members appraised accordingly.

In the meantime, the Peterson Institute for International Economics published a helpful report, Trump’s trade war timeline 2.0: An up-to-date guide, which includes summaries of tariff actions, along with links to Executive Orders, fact sheets, country responses, and information on retaliatory measures.

Cast Your Vote for the Top Spotless Space
What it means: The nominations are in, and now it’s time for you to decide! The Spotless Spaces Competition, sponsored by Tork, an Essity Brand, showcases the best in clean, safe, and healthy environments. Your vote helps spotlight the spaces that truly shine and the teams that bring them to life.
Why it matters: Visit our voting page to see the impressive finalists and cast your vote for the spaces that you believe deserve to win. Every vote counts in honoring the teams that set the standard for cleaning excellence and make a real difference in people’s lives. Voting closes on March 22. Don’t miss your chance to make your voice heard!
What ISSA is doing: The winners of the ISSA U.S. and International Spotless Spaces of the Year, along with the recipient of the Tork Think Ahead Facility Excellence Award, will be announced as part of International Cleaning Week (ICW) on March 26. Looking for more ways to celebrate ICW next week, March 23-29? Visit issa.com/​icw to discover additional ways to engage!

Last Chance to Influence a New Congress
This is your last chance to influence a new Congress at the premier advocacy event for the cleaning and facility-solutions industry and the culminating event of International Cleaning Week, the 2025 ISSA Clean Advocacy Summit, March 31-April 1 in Washington, DC! Registration for the 2025 summit closes this Friday, March 21.

This is your last chance to:

• “Hike the Hill” amidst the cherry blossoms to meet with your congressional offices and inform them about how the cleaning and facility-solutions industry strengthens America’s health and economy
• Hear from special guest speakers and Washington insiders about the new Congress and administration, including U.S. Reps. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA, invited)
• Receive briefings on the major public-policy issues facing your business and industry, such as expanding workforce development, promoting growth through tax policies, streamlining the process to register cleaning products with EPA, and more
• Learn how to be an effective ISSA Advocate for Clean
• Network with industry leaders from across the country

This is your last chance to register for the 2025 summit. Registration closes on March 21, so reserve your seat today!

Thank you to Tork, an Essity Brand for serving as the Presenting Sponsor, BradyPlus as the Platinum Sponsor, Imperial Dade and Route as Gold Sponsors, and Aunt Flow, Bobrick, Citron Hygiene, Hospeco Brands Group, Maid Brigade, MaskIT, Products Chemical, Spartan Chemical, and You’ve Got Maids of Northern Virginia as Silver Sponsors of the 2025 summit.

Additional Updates

Legislative

Trump Signs Bill to Avoid Government Shutdown
President Trump signed into law a measure to keep the government open through the end of September, NPR reports. The bill included a small increase in defense spending and about US$13 billion in cuts to non-defense programs. The bill was in line with GOP promises to cut domestic spending. Democrats characterized the bill as a “blank check” to Trump because it makes no attempt to rein in the administration’s ongoing efforts to cut spending previously approved by Congress. Learn more

House, Senate Reintroduce PRO Act
A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate reintroduced the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act (HR 20/S 852), also known as the PRO Act, according to Safety + Health. Provisions in the legislation include:

• Authorizing the U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to “assess meaningful penalties for unfair labor practices by an employer”
• Permitting the NLRB to impose liability on corporate directors and officers who violate workers’ rights, including the right to a safe workplace
• Directing the NLRB to immediately seek an injunction to reinstate workers who are illegally discharged for exercising their rights while their case is pending
• Preventing employers from infringing on workers’ right to organize by misclassifying workers as supervisors or independent contractors

Learn more

Senator Proposes Faster Labor Contracts Act
U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) aims to speed up collective bargaining negotiations for a first contract between private employers and unions via new legislation. Earlier this month, Senator Hawley introduced the Faster Labor Contracts Act, The National Law Review reports. The bill proposes an amendment to Section 8(d) of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) that would:

• Amend the NLRA to require that after workers have voted to form a union, employers must begin negotiating with the new union within 10 days
• Provide that if no agreement is reached within 90 days, the dispute will be referred to mediation
• Stipulate that if mediation fails within 30 days, or additional periods agreed upon by the parties, the dispute will be referred to binding arbitration to secure an initial contract
• Commission a Government Accountability Office report on average workplace time-to-contract one year after enactment

Learn more

Regulatory

Cuts, Closures, Confusion – Quick EPA Update
It’s been 50 days since the Trump administration took office, and there remains a “tsunami of activity” surrounding executive actions and announcements across the federal government. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hasn’t been spared from deep cuts, office and grant program closures, and a fair amount of confusion, The National Law Review reports.

And there’s no sign that the pace of change will slow anytime soon. With these changes, regulatory uncertainty will continue. Keeping abreast of these developments and how they may impact operations, projects, and/or transactions is important for cleaning-related businesses, particularly those that manufacture and distribute products regulated by the EPA. Learn more

Businesses, ISSA Fight to Save EPA’s Safer Choice
Major businesses, along with ISSA, are among those asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to keep programs that help companies make safer chemical products off the Trump administration’s “chopping block, despite increasing pressure to play down so-called green initiatives,” according to Bloomberg Law. Learn more

State & Other News

Lawmakers Push to Expand E-Verify Amid Immigration Debate
Lawmakers in at least 11 states want all employers to confirm that job applicants can legally work in the U.S., a requirement that supporters say will deter illegal immigration and put Americans first in line for open jobs, Pluribus News reports. Learn more

Green Seal Prohibits PFAS in Floor Care Products
Global nonprofit Green Seal® now prohibits any per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Green Seal-certified floor care products, adhesives, paints and coatings, and degreasers, in line with the ecolabel’s commitment to eliminate these “forever chemicals” from the supply chain for consumer products, according to Cleaning & Maintenance Management. Learn more

ILA, Port Employers Sign Historic 6-Year Contract
The International Longshoremen’s Association and United States Maritime Alliance signed a new six-year master contract covering U.S. Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coast ports, Freight Waves reports. The deal, which gives union members a 62% raise over the course of the contract and job protections linked to automation technology, is retroactive to October 1, 2024, and runs through September 30, 2030. The pact covers 24,000 employees in container handling at 14 ports from Texas to Massachusetts. Learn more