PRINTING United Expo: Where Policy, Safety, and Sustainability Meet the Pressroom

Two years of reversals have made trade policy one of the most difficult variables for printers to plan around. The Alliance’s government affairs team is coming to Las Vegas for PRINTING United Expo (Sept. 23-25) ready to explain what has changed and what printers can do about it.

Three legislative issues consistently rise to the top for print businesses right now, according to Stephanie Buka, government affairs manager, PRINTING United Alliance: the state of the economy and tax policy; trade, tariffs, and supply chain uncertainty; and labor and workforce challenges.

“I would be remiss if I didn’t include postal reform,” she adds, “which remains a priority for the Alliance.”

The trade picture illustrates why printers can’t afford to look away. While a Supreme Court ruling struck down broad presidential tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), and tariffs established under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 expired on July 24, other trade authorities remain very much in play — including Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 and Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962.

For printers, one of the most immediate concerns is the tariff treatment of aluminum lithographic printing plates. Imported finished plates are now subject to a 25% derivative tariff under Section 232, separate from the 50% Section 232 tariff that remains in effect on certain raw aluminum inputs.

Trade uncertainty extends beyond tariffs. On July 1, 2026, the United States declined to renew the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) for another 16 years, triggering a 10-year rolling annual review process. While USMCA remains in force through 2036, the review process and ongoing negotiations are creating additional uncertainty for manufacturers and supply chain partners.

In response, the Alliance continues to support policies that promote stability, investment, and competitiveness for domestic manufacturers. That includes the National Association of Manufacturers’ U.S. Manufacturing Investment Accelerator Program, a manufacturing “speed pass” designed to unlock long-term investments in the U.S. manufacturing base.

At the Expo, these issues take center stage at the Alliance booth, where attendees can have a conversation with the government affairs team about the issues affecting their business, and receive a guided tour of the Alliance’s Advocacy Center — a one-stop shop for signing up for action alerts, finding lawmakers, viewing voting records, searching key legislation, and exploring the policy map.

Buka also points attendees to “The Industry Expert Roundtable: Trends, Truths & Takeaways,” scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 24, from noon to 12:50 pm in Room N117.

Moderated by Printing Impressions Content Director Ashley Roberts, the panel puts six Alliance subject matter experts on one stage: Andy Paparozzi (chief economist); Buka; Gary Jones (environmental, health, and safety); Sara Osorio (sustainability); Lisa Cross (Alliance Insights); and Adriane Harrison (human relations). They will discuss the pressing issues in their respective areas and, more usefully, examine where those areas collide, including automation and workforce, sustainability and profitability, regulation and safety. The panel will also take audience questions and send attendees home with resources tied to the topics discussed.

For attendees who leave the session wanting to act, the first step is smaller than most printers expect. “Advocacy does not have to be time-consuming; it starts with a willingness to share your perspective when opportunities arise,” Buka says. “One simple way to participate is by responding to an action alert, which allows you to send a pre-written message to your elected officials in less than two minutes.”

Heading into the fall midterm elections Tuesday, Nov. 3, Buka says print service providers (PSPs) should keep watching several policy areas: A Stronger Workforce for America Act, intended to reauthorize and modernize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA); proposals to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) as EPA’s fee-collection authority expires Sept. 30; the Great American AI Act (GAAIA), currently in discussion draft form; and the SECURE Data Act, which seeks to establish the first comprehensive federal framework for consumer data privacy.

“The printing industry is strongest when its voice is heard,” Buka says. “PRINTING United Expo gives printers an opportunity not only to see the latest technology, but also to better understand the public policy issues shaping the future of their businesses. Whether you’re a longtime advocate or completely new to the process, the Expo is a great place to get involved.”

Environmental, Health, and Safety Focus

The EHS component of PRINTING United Expo will take on one of the industry’s most serious workplace safety risks this year: amputation injuries.

Led by Gary Jones, VP, environmental, health, and safety affairs at PRINTING United Alliance, the EHS lineup is anchored by “Preventing Amputations In Printing Operations” Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 3 pm (Room N115). The session focuses on OSHA’s Lockout/Tagout (LO/TO) Standard and Machine Guarding Standard. Attendees will learn how amputations occur, how to recognize hazardous situations, when LO/TO procedures are required, and best practices for machine guarding, training, and supervision.

Jones says the sessions are especially important for CEOs and presidents, EHS professionals, production managers, supervisors, and anyone who works with or around printing equipment — because each group plays a critical role in preventing life-altering injuries.

Jones also urges printers to use the remainder of the year to close out compliance obligations. High-priority Items include packaging EPR registration and reporting in states with Extended Producer Responsibility laws (including those expanding coverage to business-to-business packaging); California’s Textile EPR law for apparel decorators selling into the state; and injury and illness data submission through OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application.

His longer year-end checklist includes heat illness prevention, air permitting reviews when emissions-generating equipment (including digital presses) has been added or modified, and ongoing developments around PFAS, hazardous waste, and chemical reporting.

For smaller operations without dedicated EHS staff, the Alliance publishes First to Know regulatory updates, offers compliance webinars, and — perhaps most importantly — provides members with direct access to subject matter experts.

At the Expo, Alliance members can meet one-on-one with EHS and sustainability subject matter experts, and get hands-on guidance navigating the Alliance’s extensive library of EPA, OSHA safety, and sustainability resources — all available at no additional cost to members.

Sustainability — Beyond the Claims

Ask Sara Osorio, M.S., manager, EHS & Sustainability at PRINTING United Alliance, to name the most significant sustainability development affecting the print industry in 2026, and her answer comes quickly: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).

“As more states adopt packaging EPR programs, printers and packaging converters are facing new questions around producer responsibility, reporting, packaging design, and customer expectations,” she says.

Osorio will present “Sustainability Compliance: What Printers Need to Know” Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 1 pm (Room N115). EPR will be covered along with the Alliance’s SME panel, and “Sustainability Foundations: Future-Proofing Your Print Business” Thursday, Sept. 24 at 2 pm (Room N115) — plus “G7+ and Sustainability: An Unexpected Connection” at the G7+ Exchange on Sept. 22.

The other pressure point is greenwashing scrutiny — from customers, brands, state lawsuits, nongovernmental organizations, and federal and state law. As that scrutiny intensifies, Osorio says, “printers need to understand not only what sustainability claims they can make, but what documentation, data, or operational practices are needed to support those claims.”

On the show floor, Osorio advises attendees to look for solutions that support recyclability, waste reduction, energy efficiency, recycled material content, and safer material choices. Examples include low-VOC and recyclable inks, coatings, and adhesives; substrates with recycled or responsibly sourced content; and equipment designed to reduce makeready and production waste.

“Sustainable production is not limited to one product category,” she says, “so attendees should ask exhibitors how their materials, inks, equipment, or processes can help reduce environmental impact while still meeting performance and customer requirements.”

Packaging attendees should pay particular attention to mono-materials, compostable materials, and post-consumer recycled content — and press exhibitors on substance.

For these materials, “the key question is not just whether a product is marketed as sustainable, but what supports that claim,” Osorio says. “Attendees should ask about what certifications, testing, documentation, or other assurances exhibitors provide to substantiate claims around sustainability.”

Osorio is careful to keep the bar realistic. “For printers, progress means incremental progress,” she says. That can include adopting materials and technologies that reduce waste, improve efficiency, support recyclability, lower energy use, or offer safer chemistry, as well as asking better questions before making changes or communicating claims.

“Our goal is to help members move beyond broad sustainability aspirations and toward informed, credible actions that support both environmental responsibility and business performance.”

To register for the Expo, click here.