DOES BUYING AMERICAN VIOLATE U.S. TRADE AGREEMENTS?

摘要

The "Buy American" provision in the 787 billion dollars American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009-also known as the stimulus package-has created confusion since it became law Feb. 17, The provision mandates, among other things, that ARRA-funded projects for the construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of public buildings or public works use only iron, steel, and manufactured goods produced in the United States. For U.S. scrap processors, the provision could translate into stronger domestic demand for certain recycled commodities, though it also could have a negative effect on international trade and export demand for scrap. It remains unclear, however, how government entities can comply with both the Buy American provision and U.S. international agreements, particularly those that come out of the World Trade Organization.