‘Buy American’ Rules Won’t Make America Safe
Limiting the Pentagon’s use of foreign hardware will drive up costs, alienate allies and endanger US troops.
The arsenal of democracy is running low.
Photographer: Michael S. Williamson/Washington Post via Getty Images
The wars in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip have placed extraordinary demands on US weapons stockpiles, with no discernible end in sight. The need for the Pentagon to replenish its supplies as quickly as possible would appear obvious. Yet the White House and protectionist forces in Congress are actively making this task harder and more expensive than necessary.
Under the provisions of the Depression-era Buy American Act, goods purchased by the federal government must be “substantially” made from domestic sources. An executive order issued by President Joe Biden in 2021 defined this phrase to mean 60% of a product’s content, up from 55%, with the aim of reaching 75% by 2029. The administration says these changes will help to reduce supply-chain disruptions, limit security breaches and create US manufacturing jobs.