WASHINGTON — The Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) praised President Trump for signing his second executive order requiring federal agencies to prioritize the purchase of American-made goods.
However, there is more Mr. Trump could do to promote government procurement of U.S. goods, the AAM said.
The new order, signed Jan. 31, follows on the original "Buy American and Hire American" order Mr. Trump signed in April 2017.
The original order instructed every government agency and department to crack down on weak monitoring, compliance and enforcement of Buy American policies. It also targeted waivers and exceptions allowing foreign goods to have priority in government procurement, and also directed agencies to take unfair trade practices into account in the bidding process.
The new order addresses loopholes to Buy American provisions in federally funded infrastructure projects, and also ensures that any infrastructure project receiving indirect federal funding will prioritize U.S.-made goods.
Of 265 infrastructure and construction projects listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, more than 200 — accounting for more than $45 billion of government expenditures — did not have a Buy American requirement, said Peter Navarro, assistant to the president for manufacturing and trade policy, in a Jan. 31 article posted on the White" House website.
"The president deserves credit for identifying serious, government-wide gaps in Buy America coverage," AAM President Scott Paul said.
However, there is more Trump could do, according to Mr. Paul.
"The president should take the next step and use his executive powers to actually require agencies to apply Buy America rules where they do not currently apply," he said. "And he should work with lawmakers to strengthen Buy America as Congress develops an infrastructure package.
"Americans expect their hard-earned tax dollars to be spent on American-made goods."