Canadians face tougher time doing business in U.S. as Biden signs Buy American executive order

Jan 26, 2021

The Trump administration liked to talk about Buy American, Biden said, but ultimately did little to toughen or even enforce the rules.

The plan would also increase the amount of U.S.-produced materials or components a project or product would need to qualify as American-made, and make it easier for small and medium-sized businesses to access procurement opportunities.

“I don’t buy for one second that the vitality of American manufacturing is a thing of the past,” Biden said.

Mark Agnew, the director of international policy for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, said Canada will find little of comfort in Monday’s news.

“Buy American restrictions remain a perennial problem for Canadian businesses seeking to access government contracts with our largest trading partner,” Agnew said in a statement.

Buy American restrictions remain a perennial problem for Canadian businesses.

A more stringent and orderly system of approving and enforcing waivers might eventually prove to be a “silver lining” for Canada, said Dan Ujczo, a Canada-U.S.

The enforcement of procurement rules can sometimes be haphazard, particularly when they are confusing and poorly understood, said Ujczo, senior counsel with the U.S.

Dennis Darby, the CEO of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, said the job now is to remind Biden that the U.S.

It may help that Biden was vice-president in 2010, when Canada secured a waiver under the Buy American provisions imposed by then-president Barack Obama the previous year, Darby added

Even so, Canadian suppliers and contractors will need to remain on guard, Ujczo said