You are here

Buy American Act

  • The Buy American Act restricts the purchase of non-domestic supplies. This act applies to federal government contracts for products used in the U.S. The act states that the cost of domestic components must exceed 50 percent of the total cost of components in an end product. The end product itself must also be manufactured in the United States. The purpose of this act is to give preferential treatment to domestically sourced materials and U.S. manufactured goods.

    Exceptions include when the prices of domestic supplies greatly exceed foreign offers, if the goods are for use outside of the U.S., when domestic items are unavailable, or if the expected value of the procurement is below the micro-purchase threshold. The Buy American Act is intended for companies who wish to obtain federal government contracts.

    Businesses wishing to achieve compliance must ensure that the cost of domestic materials used in their end product exceed the cost of any non-domestic materials. They must also guarantee their end product is manufactured in the United States.

    Related Certifications
    Berry Amendment Compliance