Earlier this year, the Air Force, while building stimulus-backed housing units in Alaska, received a waiver from the “buy American” clause in order to purchase a slew of simple products from China, including screws and fixtures.

The military branch cited a lack of American products available for things ranging from ceiling fans and shower rods to towel racks and toilet-paper holders.

The Air Force “determined that the above items of manufactured goods are not produced in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities and of a satisfactory quality. The domestic non-availability determination for these products is based on extensive market research and thorough investigation of the domestic manufacturing landscape. This research identified that these products are manufactured almost exclusively in China,” according to the waiver request.

According to The Huffington Post, in 2009, 44,000 waivers were granted for the “buy American provision of the stimulus package. They were worth a total of $14 billion.

The Huffington Post also found that there truly is a lack of the specific screws used in the project available in the U.S. But, Scott Paul, director of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, said many of the other products can be found in the U.S.

“There’s a great deal of evidence that many agencies, including the Department of Defense, don’t look very wide or deep for procurement,” he said. “Some agencies are much more aggressive about enforcing it than others.”

Paul’s group is concerned that today it is China making nuts and bolts for the American military. Tomorrow, it could be semiconductors and robotics. That could potentially danger national security down the road.

Americans seem to agree. A poll by the Paul’s organization found that 84 percent of Americans support the domestic procurement laws.

What’s most troubling about the situation is the fact that many of the waivers granted over the years may not be legitimate. Instead, oftentimes, it is the case of a company or organization attempting to procure cheaper inputs.

“These waivers have come out fast and furious without checking to see if a U.S. supplier is available,” Jennifer Baker Reid of the Industrial Fasteners Institute, a trade group for nuts-and-bolts manufacturers, told The Huffington Post.

Print PDF