Co-signed by Ralph J Nappi, president, NPES and Markus Heering, managing director, VDMA, the declaration was delivered on 17 December to EU Commissioner Cecilia Malmström and US Trade Representative Michael Froman.

Following the signing of the declaration, Nappi and Heering met with key US government and private sector leaders in Washington DC to underscore the value of TTIP.

The two associations, which together represent 730 small, medium and large-sized businesses and a total revenue reaching tens of billions, agreed in talks over recent months to produce the joint declaration that calls for the elimination of trade barriers to boost exchange of goods.

The document specifically calls for the complete elimination of tariffs; business-friendly rules of origin; encouragement of cooperation and transparency in standards development; mutual recognition of conformity assessment procedures; accreditation according to internationally recognised rules; and, transparency and harmonisation of intellectual property rights.

“For us, the US is an important market,” said Heering, in Washington DC, during the signing of the joint declaration.

In 2013, American suppliers delivered machines and plants worth 246 million euro to countries belonging to the EU-28, a quarter of it to Germany. In return, European producers exported printing and paper technology of about 1 billion euro to the US. Of these producers, 44% were German.

“No matter what the outcome of TTIP, we have already achieved much,” Heering said about the productive dialogue in recent months between the associations. “This constructive atmosphere will facilitate further negotiations concerning standards, norms, and the mutual recognition of certification and product testing,” he declared.

“The passage of TTIP has been stalled by broader trade issues outside the machinery sector, but NPES believes it is important to focus on the many areas of agreement,” added Nappi.

According to Mark Nuzzaco, government affairs director, NPES, “the transatlantic effort by NPES and VDMA was very well received as a concrete example of how trade deals like TTIP can bring national industry sectors together even before the agreements are completed, and an excellent model for other industries to emulate in building momentum for the successful completion and ratification of TTIP.”

NPES is a US trade association representing more than 600 companies that manufacture and distribute equipment, software and supplies used across the workflow of printing, publishing and converting process.

VDMA represents over 3,000 member companies in the engineering industry, making it one of the largest and most important industrial associations in Europe.