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Biden promotes 'Buy American' programme to help locals in post-Covid recovery

WION Web Team
Washington, United StatesUpdated: Jul 28, 2021, 09:08 PM IST
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Image for representation Photograph:(Reuters)

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The decision has been taken as the coronavirus pandemic which has weakened the global supply chain and has left the US markets grappling to gain access to important products, such as semiconductors, building materials, and toilet paper

US President Joe Biden announced plans to amplify his "Buy American" programme by proposing to increase US-made stuff in hundreds of billions of dollars of government purchases.

The White House is aiming to update the 1993 'Buy American Act' in a way that puts pressure on suppliers to bring more locally produced goods rather than using loopholes and supplying non-US products to the government.

This proposal "would increase US content in the products the federal government buys and support the domestic production of products critical to our national and economic security," the White House said in a statement.

The decision has been taken as the coronavirus pandemic which has weakened the global supply chain and has left the US markets grappling to gain access to important products, such as semiconductors, building materials, and toilet paper.

Biden’s administration has proposed an increase in the 55 per cent US-content requirement for supplies in the federal government. The new amount proposed is 60 per cent as a start, which can be eventually increased to 75 per cent.

The authorities are hoping that this increase will help medium and small scale manufacturers in the US, especially in the post Covid recovery period.

"As the pandemic made clear, supply chain disruptions can impact the health, safety and livelihoods of Americans -- leaving us without access to critical goods during a crisis," the White House said in a statement.