<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><i class="">Several statements below...<br class=""></i><div class=""><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div class=""><a href="https://teamster.org/2021/01/made-in-america-executive-order-takes-necessary-steps-toward-strengthening-economy/" class="">https://teamster.org/2021/01/made-in-america-executive-order-takes-necessary-steps-toward-strengthening-economy/</a></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><h1 class="single__hed--title" style="margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: Quantico, sans-serif; font-size: 38px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.1; vertical-align: baseline; width: 962px; max-width: 962px; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase; color: rgb(1, 13, 80); caret-color: rgb(1, 13, 80); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);">MADE IN AMERICA EXECUTIVE ORDER TAKES NECESSARY STEPS TOWARD STRENGTHENING ECONOMY</h1></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><div class="single__press" style="margin: 15px auto; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; caret-color: rgb(1, 13, 80); color: rgb(1, 13, 80);"><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: 700; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">Press Contact: Galen Munroe</span> Phone: (202) 439-7427 Email: <a href="mailto:gmunroe@teamster.org" class="">gmunroe@teamster.org</a></div></div><p style="margin: 0px auto 1.2em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.45; vertical-align: baseline; width: 700px; max-width: 700px; caret-color: rgb(1, 13, 80); color: rgb(1, 13, 80);" class=""><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: 700; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">EO Establishes Path to Review and Reform Buy American Policies to Close Procurement Loopholes, Limit Waivers Under Buy American Process </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0px auto 1.2em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.45; vertical-align: baseline; width: 700px; max-width: 700px; caret-color: rgb(1, 13, 80); color: rgb(1, 13, 80);" class="">(WASHINGTON) – The Teamsters Union applauds President Biden’s efforts to reform and strengthen Buy American policies through the Made in America Executive Order signed today. </p><p style="margin: 0px auto 1.2em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.45; vertical-align: baseline; width: 700px; max-width: 700px; caret-color: rgb(1, 13, 80); color: rgb(1, 13, 80);" class="">The Made in America Executive Order will set in motion a series of reforms to current federal procurement policies that are designed to eliminate the excessive and unnecessary use of foreign suppliers through trade-pact waivers. These waivers, which can be used to procure goods from 60 countries that are U.S. trade partners, have allowed billions of tax dollars to be spent overseas rather than with American suppliers. </p><p style="margin: 0px auto 1.2em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.45; vertical-align: baseline; width: 700px; max-width: 700px; caret-color: rgb(1, 13, 80); color: rgb(1, 13, 80);" class="">“The Made in America Executive Order is an important step toward ensuring that our tax dollars are invested in American manufacturing which in turn, strengthens our economy,” said Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa. “American workers can out-produce and out-perform any other workforce in the world when given the opportunity. By closing loopholes and reforming the government procurement system, we can make sure American tax dollars are helping American companies and workers.”</p><p style="margin: 0px auto 1.2em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.45; vertical-align: baseline; width: 700px; max-width: 700px; caret-color: rgb(1, 13, 80); color: rgb(1, 13, 80);" class="">The executive order also directs federal agencies to increase the threshold of domestic content – the percentage of a product that must be manufactured in the U.S. to qualify under Buy American law to be purchased. Enforcement of these new guidelines will fall under a new, senior-level position established under the executive order within the Office of Management and Budget. The Director of Made-in-America will oversee the implementation of all aspects of the executive order. </p><p style="margin: 0px auto 1.2em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.45; vertical-align: baseline; width: 700px; max-width: 700px; caret-color: rgb(1, 13, 80); color: rgb(1, 13, 80);" class="">“President Biden is signaling his commitment to the American worker and economy with this executive order,” Hoffa said. “Buy American policies will be strengthened and enforced under these new directives and that will only benefit our economy in the long run.”</p><p style="margin: 0px auto 1.2em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.45; vertical-align: baseline; width: 700px; max-width: 700px; caret-color: rgb(1, 13, 80); color: rgb(1, 13, 80);" class="">Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit <a href="http://www.teamster.org/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(28, 68, 131);" class="">www.teamster.org</a> for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/teamsters" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(28, 68, 131);" class="">www.facebook.com/teamsters</a>.</p></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">====</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><a href="https://www.goiam.org/press-releases/machinists-union-bidens-buy-american-executive-order-is-critical-first-step-toward-bringing-our-jobs-home/" class="">https://www.goiam.org/press-releases/machinists-union-bidens-buy-american-executive-order-is-critical-first-step-toward-bringing-our-jobs-home/</a></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><b style="font-size: 36px;" class="">Machinists Union: Biden’s ‘Buy American’ Executive Order is Critical First Step Toward Bringing Our Jobs Home</b></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><p style="box-sizing: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.4;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: 700; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit;" class="">WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2021</span> – Robert Martinez Jr., International President of the 600,000-member International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), released the following statement on the Biden administration’s “Buy American” executive order:<span id="more-94251" style="box-sizing: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit;" class=""></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.4;" class="">“The Machinists Union applauds the Biden administration’s executive order to strengthen Buy American laws, a key step in creating good manufacturing jobs here at home.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.4;" class="">“As a candidate, Joe Biden made it clear that U.S. workers will be a priority in his administration. Just a few days into office, President Biden is already beginning to fulfill his promise by setting in motion a framework long advocated by the IAM that finally removes loopholes to Buy American laws—from lax rules on how U.S. content is calculated to exceptions made when domestic goods are slightly more expensive than foreign goods. </p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.4;" class="">“This executive order is just the beginning. The Machinists Union looks forward to working with the president and his administration to ensure that Buy American lives up to its name. This president and our union are partnering already to help create U.S. manufacturing jobs, which have been decimated over the past four years.”</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.4;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit;" class="">The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is among the largest industrial trade unions in North America and represents nearly 600,000 active and retired members in the manufacturing, aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, transportation, shipbuilding, woodworking, health care, and other industries.</span></p></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div class="">====<br class=""><br class="">
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<a href="https://www.usw.org/news/media-center/releases/2021/usw-commends-executive-order-supporting-domestic-manufacturing" class="">https://www.usw.org/news/media-center/releases/2021/usw-commends-executive-order-supporting-domestic-manufacturing</a><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; caret-color: rgb(108, 108, 108); color: rgb(108, 108, 108); font-family: Arimo, helvetica, arial, sanserif;"><small style="margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 0.875em; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(174, 175, 176); text-transform: uppercase;" class=""><time datetime="2021-01-25" style="margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold;" class="">JAN 25, 2021</time></small><h1 style="margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 32px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1; font-weight: 400;" class="">USW Commends Executive Order Supporting Domestic Manufacturing</h1></div><div class="cf" style="margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; caret-color: rgb(108, 108, 108); color: rgb(108, 108, 108); font-family: Arimo, helvetica, arial, sanserif;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""><strong style="margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">Contact:</strong> Jess Kamm Broomell, 412-562-2444, <a href="mailto:jkamm@usw.org" style="margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 72, 129); text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out;" class="">jkamm@usw.org</a></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""><span style="margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: italic;" class="">United Steelworkers (USW) International President Tom Conway issued the following statement in response to the announcement that President Joe Biden would today sign an executive order tightening domestic content requirements and narrowing exceptions to existing domestic preference rules for federally funded projects:</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">“Manufacturing is the backbone of our economy and remains essential to our national defense.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">“When we undertake federally funded projects, we must ensure that our tax dollars support American production and jobs rather than our foreign competitors, who all too often seek to undermine our industries by flooding our markets with unfairly traded products.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">“Today’s order strengthening domestic content requirements, closing loopholes in how domestic content is measured and calling for stricter enforcement of existing legislation like the Jones Act is an important step toward revitalizing our manufacturing base, as well as protecting and creating thousands of good, family-sustaining jobs.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">“Further, taking concrete steps to make it easier to identify and utilize U.S. suppliers, as outlined in the order, will help ensure we are efficiently meeting our own needs as we look to rebuild our long-neglected domestic supply chains.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">“The Covid-19 crisis demonstrated that we are sorely unprepared to meet our own needs, and this remains true of countless products. If we want to heal our nation in the wake of the deadly pandemic, we must take bold action to rebuild our economy, creating good jobs and broadly shared prosperity. President Biden’s executive order is a critical part of that effort. </p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">“Our nation is long overdue for serious, robust investment in our crumbling infrastructure. Today’s action is crucial not only for rebuilding our nation’s broken economy and making our country safer, but for laying a foundation so that all of the work that stems from this investment supports American jobs. </p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">“For too long, we have allowed foreign-made products to dominate our markets. We look forward to working with the Biden administration as together we seek to ensure our federal policies serve our country’s best interests.”</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""><span style="margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: italic;" class="">The USW represents 850,000 workers employed in metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in health care, public sector, higher education, tech and service occupations.</span></p></div></div><div class="">=====</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">Biden Buy American Order Good First Step: Enacting EO’s Goals Will Require Elimination of Trade-Pact Buy American Waivers for 60 Nations<o:p class=""></o:p></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;" class=""><b class=""><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> </span></b></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;" class=""><b class=""><i class=""><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">Statement of Lori Wallach, Director, Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch<o:p class=""></o:p></span></i></b></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;" class=""><b class=""><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> </span></b></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><i class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">Note: Today, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to strengthen Buy American policies.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></i></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">Today’s order will be a good first step and can help rebuild our nation’s economic and health resilience, promote innovation and create American jobs if it translates into the many Buy American loopholes and waivers actually being eliminated and domestic content rules being strengthened.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">Thanks to past presidents granting trade-pact waivers to Buy American, today billions in U.S. tax dollars leak offshore every year because the goods and companies from 60 other countries are treated like they were American for government procurement purposes.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">The Biden campaign platform showed impressive insight by including plans to </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""><a href="https://joebiden.com/made-in-america/" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class=""><span style="color: windowtext; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">“Update the trade rules for Buy American</span></a><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">: Biden will work with allies to modernize international trade rules and associated domestic regulations regarding government procurement to make sure that the U.S. and allies can use their own taxpayer dollars to spur investment in their own countries.” And by committing to: “…</span> <a href="https://joebiden.com/supplychains/" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class=""><span style="color: windowtext;" class="">updating trade rules to ensure</span></a> we have strong understandings with our allies on how to best ensure supply chain security for all of us.”<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">If the Biden administration’s planned stimulus funds are to be reinvested here to create resilience and jobs, then the massive trade-pact loophole to Buy American needs to be closed immediately. Otherwise billions will leak out in offshored government procurement contracts.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">And, a cross-agency high standard for Buy American waivers based on price and tighter rules for what qualifies goods as American-made needs to be implemented. As well, the government needs to recruit small and medium sized manufacturers to produce the goods the government needs, rather than regularly declaring that no domestic goods are available and waiving Buy American rules.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;" class=""><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><img align="right" hspace="12" alt="Products from and Firms in These 60 Countries Get Treated as if They Were U.S. Goods and Firms
Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Mexico, Moldova, Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Oman, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, UK
Bold = WTO GPA; Italics = FTA
" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_2" apple-inline="yes" id="A3E29F58-0AA3-4707-AA24-B11121FDCEC6" src="cid:image002.png@01D6F2F9.68D89050" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">BACKGROUND: More details are available in <a href="https://mkus3lurbh3lbztg254fzode-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/Procurement-from-FTAs.pdf" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class=""><span style="color: windowtext;" class="">this</span></a> briefing paper, which explains:<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Symbol;" class="">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">Firms and products from 60 nations with which the United States has trade pacts have been given the same access to U.S. government contracts as domestic firms and goods for all but the lowest-value government contracts. This Buy American waiver is enacted by regulation. Congress delegated authority to the president to change the waiver list at any time. (19 U.S.C. 2511) <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Symbol;" class="">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">The current trade-pact waiver policy offshores our tax dollars rather than investing them to create jobs and innovation at home. These Buy American waiver applies to subsidiaries of firms based in countries that have not signed agreements, such as China, and have not provided reciprocal access as long as a subsidiary is operating in a country that has a signed a U.S. trade pact. These limits on procurement policy apply to most U.S. federal purchases, with limits for U.S. defense agencies and some specific products listed in each trade deal.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">Setting limits on how our democratically elected federal and state governments can spend our tax dollars on procurement was not a traditional focus of trade agreements. U.S. firms that offshored production did not want to be excluded from lucrative U.S. government contracts. They pushed for trade pacts to include rules that required companies operating in trade partner countries to be treated like U.S. firms – and foreign-made goods to be treated as if they were made in America.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Symbol;" class="">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">The Procurement Act of 1949 gives a U.S. president broad powers to enact “policies and directives” for federal contracting. President Lyndon Johnson used this authority to issue an executive order in 1965 to prohibit contractors from discriminating against <i class="">any</i> of their employees – not just those performing federal work – on grounds of race or gender. President Barack Obama used this authority to set minimum wage and sick leave entitlements for federal contract employees.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Symbol;" class="">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">The U.S. government has a long tradition of using its contract spending, which was more than $600 billion in 2019, to promote national policy goals. For instance, a share of federal government contracts must be awarded to small businesses and women- and minority-owned firms; to qualify for government construction projects, firms must agree to pay workers prevailing wages; and the Buy American Act in effect since the Roosevelt administration requires preferences for purchase of American-made products. Indeed, the president has the authority under the Trade Agreements Act of 1979 to ban altogether government purchase of goods from countries such as China that have not signed trade pact procurement agreements.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Symbol;" class="">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">Even if the underlying notion of offshoring our tax dollars in exchange for providing opportunities for individual U.S. firms to obtain contracts from other governments was a good one, the way it is done in trade pacts is a losing proposition for the United States. A recent GAO report found that the United States opened <i class="">twice as much</i> procurement to foreign firms as the next five largest WTO GPA signatories <i class="">combined</i> (European Union, Japan, South Korea, Norway and Canada). In exchange for some U.S. firms getting some opportunities to bid on equal terms with domestic firms on contracts in other nations (most of which have much smaller amounts of procurement), almost all U.S. government contracts are made available on terms equal to U.S. firms for all firms operating in 60 other countries<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Symbol;" class="">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">These constraints are </span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">enacted through a waiver of Buy American and other domestic procurement preference policies</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> through regulation, not by statute. The Trade Agreements Act gives the president discretionary authority to waive domestic procurement preferences, <i class="">but does not require a waiver</i>. This waiver authority has been delegated to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). USTR’s practice is to add new trade agreement countries </span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">or countries joining the WTO procurement agreement </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">to a list found at 48 CFR 25.400.</span></div></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">====</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><a href="https://aflcio.org/press/releases/bidens-buy-american-executive-order-will-boost-economy" class="">https://aflcio.org/press/releases/bidens-buy-american-executive-order-will-boost-economy</a></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><h1 style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 2.2rem; margin: 0px 0px 2rem; font-family: "Proxima Nova", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.1; color: rgb(55, 58, 58); caret-color: rgb(55, 58, 58);" class=""><span style="box-sizing: inherit;" class="">Biden’s ‘Buy American’ Executive Order Will Boost Economy</span></h1><div class=""><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: rgb(55, 58, 58); color: rgb(55, 58, 58); font-family: "Proxima Nova", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: inherit;" class=""><em style="box-sizing: inherit;" class=""><span lang="EN" xml:lang="EN" style="box-sizing: inherit;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: inherit;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: inherit;" class="">Statement from AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on President Joe Biden’s executive order on tightening “Buy American” provisions:</span></span></span></em><br style="box-sizing: inherit;" class=""><br style="box-sizing: inherit;" class=""><span lang="EN" xml:lang="EN" style="box-sizing: inherit;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: inherit;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: inherit;" class="">The concept of Buy American is simple: Our tax dollars should be used to create jobs and advance production here at home. For far too long, America’s workers have suffered as many corporations wrap themselves in the American flag and simultaneously seek out loopholes to qualify for Buy American status with foreign-made products. </span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: rgb(55, 58, 58); color: rgb(55, 58, 58); font-family: "Proxima Nova", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: inherit;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: inherit;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: inherit;" class=""><span lang="EN" xml:lang="EN" style="box-sizing: inherit;" class="">The Trump administration used the right words but never put in place policies to affect meaningful change. This executive order will close loopholes that allow agencies to sidestep Buy American requirements and increase the thresholds for domestic content. We know that when America’s workers are given a level playing field, we can compete with anyone. This order is a good first step in revitalizing U.S. manufacturing, which Trump’s policies failed to do over the past four years. </span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: rgb(55, 58, 58); color: rgb(55, 58, 58); font-family: "Proxima Nova", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: inherit;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: inherit;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: inherit;" class=""><span lang="EN" xml:lang="EN" style="box-sizing: inherit;" class="">As we continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, we will work with the Biden administration to pursue policies that will build a stronger, fairer economy with a robust manufacturing base, and this executive order is an important piece of that strategy. </span></span></span></span></p></div></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Arthur Stamoulis<br class="">Citizens Trade Campaign<br class="">(202) 494-8826<br class=""></div><br class=""><br class=""><div class="">
Arthur Stamoulis<br class="">Citizens Trade Campaign<br class="">(202) 494-8826<br class=""><br class=""><br class=""><br class="">
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