News & Insights

“As companies and associations accounting for millions of employees across the U.S. economy, we strongly share your objective to promote economic recovery and job growth in the United States. To achieve that recovery and job growth, however, we strongly urge against the imposition of onerous new Buy American provisions in the American Jobs Act that are counterproductive to your and our nation’s job-growth goals.

“…The massive expansion of Buy American requirements proposed in the American Jobs Act is, however, out of step with a balanced U.S. procurement policy and will undermine the United States’ ability to grow our exports and our jobs through accessing foreign markets… There are numerous examples of these damaging ‘backfires’ on U.S. exporters and their workers. The inclusion of the same Buy American provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in 2009 led countries in Europe, Asia, Latin America and elsewhere to impose additional restrictions on the purchase of U.S. goods and services.

“…At this critical juncture, the United States must lead the world out of protectionism, not into it. The proposed expansions of already robust Buy American laws send the wrong message at the worst possible time to our trading partners around the world and to markets nervous about rising trade barriers.”

 

NFTC Vice President for Regional Trade Issues Chuck Dittrich said, “While the American Jobs Act is intended to address an urgent and critical issue, the ‘Buy American’ provisions included in it are counterproductive and shortsighted. Some may view the provisions as a possible shot in the arm for the U.S. economy. However, the reality is that in the near and long term, they will jeopardize our trade partnerships around the globe, likely lead to retaliatory actions by other nations, raise costs for American consumers and slow down job creation – counter to what the Act itself is intended to do – create jobs and boost the U.S. economy.”