USDOT proposes temporary waiver on Buy America requirements for construction materials

The U.S. Department of Transportation is proposing a temporary transitional waiver of the Buy America requirements for federally funded construction projects.

The department is seeking public comment on the waiver that would become effective May 14 and expire Nov. 10. The waiver would give state and local entities, transit agencies, contractors and other stakeholders time to begin the compliance process, USDOT officials said in a press release.

The requirements were introduced with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Buy America provision requires that all federally funded projects use American-made materials in order to encourage domestic production.

Suppliers are encouraged to inform USDOT of currently sufficient domestic availability of construction materials to help shorten the transition time or narrow its applicability to encourage local and domestic sourcing.