This recent article from the New York Times again underscores the difficulties surrounding the Trump Administration’s “buy America” directive.
The United States has several laws on the books that require national security agencies and the military to buy American made products whenever possible. But these are often thwarted by trade agreements and the global nature of the supply chain. You might think that uniforms worn by the Secret Service and TSA are made here; in fact, they’re manufactured in Mexico.
Homeland security says it could probably source many products at home, but not without adding over 50 percent to the purchase price, a cost taxpayers may be unwilling to bear. And of course, existing trade agreements would have to be broken, which might shut the United States out of markets in other areas.
A new report by the Government Accountability Office highlights the complexities of trade in the global era. You can read it and the Times article here: