Biden wants infrastructure projects to be built with American iron and steel

New projects supported by the $1.2 trillion infrastructure plan must be built using American materials, according to federal authorities.

Biden

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Biden administration is urging federal agencies to use American-made materials in new building projects supported by the $1.2 billion infrastructure package.

The Office of Management and Budget issued 17 pages of instructions on Monday instructing federal agencies to ensure that any initiatives to build or repair roads, bridges, water pipelines, or even broadband internet be produced using American materials, including iron and steel, by mid-May.

The metals criterion states that “all production steps, from the initial melting stage to the application of coatings, happened in the United States.”

Agencies must also verify that the majority of components used in building projects are created in the United States.

If it’s determined that procuring the products domestically isn’t in the public interest, that quantities of the materials aren’t “sufficient and reasonably available… or of a satisfactory quality,” or that using U.S.-sourced materials would increase the project’s cost by more than 25%, government agencies can request waivers.

The new guidelines is part of the administration’s efforts to execute President Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill, which was signed into law in November. It’s also part of Biden’s plan to help the US supply chain deal with the Covid epidemic and inflation.

President Donald Trump slapped heavy tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from European countries during his previous administration, raising costs in the United States. Biden revealed at the G-20 conference in October 2021 that the US has secured an agreement to repeal the tariffs.