On Jan. 31, President Trump signed an executive order, “Strengthening Buy-American Preferences for Infrastructure Projects,” which expands the administration’s preferences for American products in federal procurements and federal financial assistance awards on critical infrastructure projects.  

The order directs the head of each executive department and agency administering a covered program to “encourage recipients of new federal financial assistance awards to use, to the greatest extent practicable, iron and aluminum, as well as steel, cement and other manufactured products produced in the United States, in every contract, subcontract, purchase order or sub award that is chargeable against such federal financial assistance award.” The agencies are required to take action within 90 days and document their efforts in a report to the president within 120 days.

The order expands upon President Trump’s April 2017 executive order, “Buy American and Hire American.” For more information on the Trump administration’s “Buy American” efforts, see the White House’s fact sheet. 

ABC is currently evaluating the executive order and its potential impact on ABC members. If you are a federal contractor and would like to offer feedback, please contact Ben Brubeck, ABC’s vice president of regulatory, labor and state affairs.