Page images
PDF
EPUB

SECTION 3710 OF THE REVISED STATUTES OF THE
UNITED STATES

SEC. 3710. [41 U.S.C. 8] Whenever proposals for supplies have been solicited, the parties responding to such solicitation shall be duly notified of the time and place of opening the bids, and be permitted to be present either in person or by attorney, and a record of each bid shall then and there be made.

BUY AMERICAN ACT1

(Title III of the Act of March 3, 1933)

SEC. 1. [41 U.S.C. 10c] That when used in this title

(a) The term "United States," when used in a geographical sense, includes the United States and any place subject to the jurisdiction thereof;

(b) The terms "public use," "public building," and "public work" shall mean use by, public building of, and public work of, the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Philippine Islands, American Samoa, the Canal Zone, and the Virgin Islands;

(c) The term "Federal agency" has the meaning given such term by section 3 of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (40 U.S.C. 472), which includes the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

SEC. 2. [41 U.S.C. 10a] Notwithstanding any other provision of law, and unless the head of the Federal agency concerned shall determine it to be inconsistent with the public interest, or the cost to be unreasonable, only such unmanufactured articles, materials, and supplies as have been mined or produced in the United States, and only such manufactured articles, materials, and supplies as have been manufactured in the United States substantially all from articles, materials, or supplies mined, produced, or manufactured, as the case may be, in the United States, shall be acquired for public use. This section shall not apply with respect to articles, materials, or supplies for use outside the United States, or if articles, materials, or supplies of the class or kind to be used or the articles, materials, or supplies from which they are manufactured are not mined, produced, or manufactured, as the case may be, in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available commercial quantities and of a satisfactory quality. This section shall not apply to manufactured articles, materials, or supplies procured under any contract the award value of which is less than or equal to the micro-purchase threshold under section 32 of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act.

SEC. 3. [41 U.S.C. 10b] (a) Every contract for the construction, alteration, or repair of any public building or public work in the United States growing out of an appropriation heretofore made or hereafter to be made shall contain a provision that in the performance of the work the contractor, subcontractors, material men, or suppliers, shall use only such unmanufactured articles, materials, and supplies as have been mined or produced in the United States, and only such manufactured articles, materials, and supplies as

1 For miscellaneous procurement limitations on foreign-made goods, see section 2534 of title 10, United States Code. For provisions related to Buy American Act waivers, see section 849(c) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994 (P.L. 103-160), set forth on page 441, and section 8033 of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2003 (P.L. 107–248), set forth on page 485.

have been manufactured in the United States substantially all from articles, materials, or supplies mined, produced, or manufactured, as the case may be, in the United States except as provided in section 2: Provided, however, That if the head of the department or independent establishment making the contract shall find that in respect to some particular articles, materials, or supplies it is impracticable to make such requirement or that it would unreasonably increase the cost, an exception shall be noted in the specifications as to that particular article, material, or supply, and a public record made of the findings which justified the exception. 2

(b) If the head of a department, bureau, agency, or independent establishment which has made any contract containing the provision required by subsection (a) finds that in the performance

2 Section 511(b) of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 1991 (P.L. 101514; 104 Stat. 2098; 41 U.S.C. 10b note) provides: (b)(1) Not later than May 1, 1991, the United States Trade Representative shall make a determination with respect to each foreign country of whether such foreign country—

(A) denies fair and equitable market opportunities for products and services of the United States in procurement, or

(B) denies fair and equitable market opportunities for products and services of the United States in bidding,

for construction projects that cost more than $500,000 and are funded (in whole or in part) by the government of such foreign country or by an entity controlled directly or indirectly by such foreign country.

(2) In making determinations under paragraph (1), the United States Trade Representative shall take into account information obtained in preparing the report submitted under section 181(b) of the Trade Act of 1974 and such other information or evidence concerning discrimination in construction projects against United States products and services that are available. (c)(1) The United States Trade Representative shall maintain a list of each foreign country which

(A) denies fair and equitable market opportunities for products and services of the United States in procurement, or

(B) denies fair and equitable market opportunities for products and services of the United States in bidding,

for construction projects that cost more than $500,000 and are funded (in whole or in part) by the government of such foreign country or by an entity controlled directly or indirectly by such foreign country.

(2) Any foreign country that is initially listed or that is added to the list maintained under paragraph (1) shall remain on the list until

(A) such country removes the barriers in construction projects to United States products and services;

(B) such country submits to the United States Trade Representative evidence demonstrating that such barriers have been removed; and

(C) the United States Trade Representative conducts an investigation to verify independently that such barriers have been removed and submits, at least 30 days before granting any such waiver, a report to each House of the Congress identifying the barriers and describing the actions taken to remove them.

(3) The United States Trade Representative shall publish in the Federal Register the entire list required under paragraph (1) and shall publish in the Fedreal Register any modifications to such list that are made after publication of the original list. (d) For purposes of this section

(1) The term "foreign country" includes any foreign instrumentality. Each territory or possession of a foreign country that is administered separately for customs purposes shall be treated as a separate foreign country.

(2) Any contractor or subcontractor that is a citizen or national of a foreign country, or is controlled directly or indirectly by citizens or nationals of a foreign country, shall be considered to be a contractor or subcontractor of such foreign country.

(3) Subject to paragraph (4), any product that is produced or manufactured (in whole or in substantial part) in a foreign country shall be considered to be a product of such foreign country.

(4) The restrictions of subsection (a)(1) shall not prohibit the use, in the construction, alteration, or repair of a public building or public work, of vehicles or construction equipment of a foreign country.

(5) The terms "contractor" and "subcontractor" include any person performing any architectural, engineering, or other services directly related to the preparation for or performance of the construction, alteration, or repair.

(e) Paragraph (a)(1) of this section shall not apply to contracts entered into prior to the date of enactment of this Act.

(f) The provisions of this section are in addition to, and do not limit or supersede, any other restrictions contained in any other Federal law.

of such contract there has been a failure to comply with such provisions, he shall make public his findings, including therein the name of the contractor obligated under such contract, and no other contract for the construction, alteration, or repair of any public building or public work in the United States or elsewhere shall be awarded to such contractor, subcontractors, material men, or suppliers with which such contractor is associated or affiliated, within a period of three years after such finding is made public.

SEC. 4. [41 U.S.C. 10b-1] (a) A Federal agency shall not award any contract—

(1) for the procurement of an article, material, or supply mined, produced, or manufactured

(A) in a signatory country that is considered to be a signatory not in good standing of the Agreement pursuant to section 305(f)(3)(A) of the Trade Agreements Act of 1979; or

(B) in a foreign country whose government maintains, in government procurement, a significant and persistent pattern or practice of discrimination against United States products or services which results in identifiable harm to United States businesses, as identified by the President pursuant to section 305(g)(1)(A) of such Act; or

(2) for the procurement of a service of any contractor or subcontractor that is a citizen or national of a foreign country identified by the President pursuant to section 305(f)(3)(A) or 305(g)(1)(A) of such Act, or is owned or controlled directly or indirectly by citizens or nationals of such a foreign country. (b) The prohibition on procurement in subsection (a) is subject to sections 305(h) and 305(j) of such Act and shall not apply—

(1) with respect to services, articles, materials, or supplies procured and used outside the United States and its territories;

(2) notwithstanding section 305(g) of such Act, to an eligible product of a country which is a signatory country unless that country is considered to be a signatory not in good standing pursuant to section 305(f)(3)(A) of such Act; or

(3) notwithstanding section 305(g) of such Act, to a country that is a least developed country (as that term is defined in section 308(6) of that Act).

(c) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, the President or the head of a Federal agency may authorize the award of a contract or class of contracts if the President or the head of the Federal agency

(1) determines that such action is necessary

(A) in the public interest;

(B) to avoid the restriction of competition in a manner which would limit the procurement in question to, or would establish a preference for, the services, articles, materials, or supplies of a single manufacturer or supplier; or

(C) because there would be or are an insufficient number of potential or actual bidders to assure procurement of services, articles, materials, or supplies of requisite quality at competitive prices; and

(2) notifies the Committee on Governmental Affairs of the Senate, as well as other appropriate Senate committees, and the appropriate committees of the House of Representatives, of such determination—

(A) not less than 30 days prior to the date of the award of the contract or the date of authorization of the award of a class of contracts; or

(B) if the agency's need for the service, article, material, or supply is of such urgency that the United States would be seriously injured by delaying the award or authorization, not more than 90 days after the date of such award or authorization.

(d) The authority of the head of a Federal agency under subsection (c) shall not apply to contracts subject to memorandums of understanding entered into by the Department of Defense (or any military department) and a representative of a foreign country (or agency or instrumentality thereof). In the case of any such contracts, any determinations and notice required by subsection (c) shall be made by

(1) the President, or

(2) if delegated, by the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of the Army, Navy, or Air Force, subject to review and policy guidance by the organization established under section 242(a) of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (19 U.S.C. 1872(a)). (e) The authority of the head of a Federal agency under subsection (c) or (d) of this section may not be delegated.

(f) Nothing in this section shall restrict the application of the prohibition under section 302(a)(1) of the Trade Agreements Act of 1979.

(g)(1) For purposes of this section with respect to construction services, a contractor or subcontractor is owned or controlled directly or indirectly by citizens or nationals of a foreign country if—

(A) 50 percent or more of the voting stock of the contractor or subcontractor is owned by one or more citizens or nationals of the foreign country;

(B) the title to 50 percent or more of the stock of the contractor or subcontractor is held subject to trust or fiduciary obligations in favor of one or more citizens or nationals of the foreign country;

(C) 50 percent or more of the voting stock of the contractor or subcontractor is vested in or exercisable on behalf of one or more citizens or nationals of the foreign country;

(D) the case of a corporation

(i) the number of its directors necessary to constitute a quorum are citizens or nationals of the foreign country;

or

(ii) the corporation is organized under the laws of the foreign country or any subdivision, territory, or possession thereof; or

(E) in the case of a contractor or subcontractor who is a participant in a joint venture or a member of a partnership, any participant of the joint venture or partner meets any of the criteria in subparagraphs (A) through (D) of this paragraph.

« PreviousContinue »