AISI Applauds Action to Strengthen Buy American Requirements for Taxpayer Funded Projects

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Kevin Dempsey, president and CEO of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), issued the following statement in response to President Biden’s signing today of an executive order to strengthen Buy America and other made in America domestic procurement programs that require, among other things, that American steel be used in federally funded projects:

“Strong domestic procurement preferences for federally funded infrastructure projects, known as Buy America, are essential to ensure that taxpayer dollars are used to procure American steel and other made-in-America products — and have helped create manufacturing jobs. Recent studies have also shown that the American steel industry is the cleanest and most energy efficient of the leading steel industries in the world.

“We strongly support President Biden’s action today.  We are pleased that today’s executive order will tighten up the process for considering waivers to existing domestic preference requirements and will also increase domestic content requirements for defining what constitutes a product that is made in the United States.  We applaud President Biden for affirming his commitment to ‘Build Back Better’ by enforcing and improving programs to ensure taxpayer dollars are used for products made in America – most significantly, the use of American steel.”

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AISI serves as the voice of the American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI also plays a lead role in the development and application of new steels and steelmaking technology. AISI’s membership is comprised of integrated and electric arc furnace steelmakers, and associate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry. For more news about steel and its applications, view AISI’s website at www.steel.org. Follow AISI on Facebook or Twitter (@AISISteel).