On Sunday, President Trump said federal agencies \u201cmust buy American\u201d in a Truth Social post, doubling down on his push to prioritize the use of products manufactured, developed and produced in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cALL FEDERAL AGENCIES MUST BUY AMERICAN \u2014 NO EXCUSES! For decades, Washington politicians sent your Taxpayer Dollars overseas, and let Foreign Countries rip us off while our Workers, Factories, and Supply Chains were left behind,\u201d Trump wrote Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat betrayal is OVER,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Government agencies are generally required to buy American-made products under the Buy American Act of 1933, which mandates that federal agencies acquire domestic end products for public use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, there are several exceptions to the law including unreasonable cost, product unavailability and if domestic preference would be inconsistent with the public interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump has long criticized government agencies for signing too many waivers allowing agencies to purchase foreign made products over American made goods and has decried false branding online that \u201ctargets patriotic consumers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a March executive order entitled \u201cEnsuring Truthful Advertising of Products Claiming To Be Made in America,\u201d Trump pushed forward efforts to crack down on false claims of American-made products advertised on the digital marketplace or by foreign manufacturers and sellers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During his first administration, Trump signed multiple executive orders with similar objectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first was the \u201cBuy American, Hire American\u201d executive order, issued in April of 2017. The executive action increased enforcement of standing Buy American laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two years later, he signed the \u201cStrengthening Buy-American Preferences for Infrastructure Projects,\u201d which provided clear guidelines for iron and steel products allegedly produced in the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The order states that all manufacturing processes, from the initial melting stage through the application of coatings, must occur in the U.S. in order to be branded as such.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In his second term, the president has pushed foreign companies, specifically in the auto industry, to establish factories in the U.S., often tying terms into trade agreements that outline multimillion dollar investments in the creation of new American plants to create more jobs and increase the country\u2019s profit from exports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo more games. No more fake labels. No more ripping off the American Taxpayer. AMERICA FIRST means BUY AMERICAN!\u201d Trump wrote in Sunday\u2019s post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy Administration is strengthening MADE IN AMERICA Laws, ENDING Waiver Loopholes, and STOPPING the Federal Government from buying Foreign Products when Great American Products are available,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n