NGA Advocates for Cross-Border Travel of Fenestration Industry Technicians

Cross-border travel restrictions instituted due to the pandemic have disrupted essential operations of our manufacturers and fabricators. The NGA urges governments to continue to recognize the essential nature of glass, glazing and fenestration, and to also recognize the cross-border travel of industry service technicians as essential as well.   

Our industry produces and installs building materials essential to human health, safety and security across all building types, including defense and public safety projects serving the U.S. public interest.  Our products can be used to mitigate spread of infectious diseases in many built environment applications. Since the start of the pandemic, our suppliers have been relied upon to provide protections for frontline workers in healthcare environments, along with the many essential workers and customers in retail, office, government spaces and more.

Despite this, cross-border travel of glass and fenestration industry service technicians has been interrupted. As a result, manufacturing and fabrication plant operations are being interrupted and hindered when machinery and equipment requires service technicians from the countries where the technologies originate.

The NGA fully supports all government actions in this crisis and all that’s being done to mitigate loss of life and suffering. NGA is working hard to help our members and the industry at large to comply with all CDC and other government mandates to stem the crisis and flatten the curve.

For this reason, the NGA urges the extension of the “essential business” designation to allow cross-border travel of industry technicians needed to keep our factories producing.   

With great respect,  

Nicole Harris 
President & CEO  
National Glass Association