Industry Coalition Supports Proposed American Steel First Act
05/02/2008 - The Buy America Coalition expresses its support of new legislation that would require the use of 100% American-made steel products for federally funded construction projects under the Department of Transportation, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Homeland Security.
The Buy America Coalition expressed its support of new legislation introduced by Reps. Pete Visclosky (D-IN) and Phil English (R-PA). The Coalition includes the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), Committee on Pipe and Tube Imports (CPTI), National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA), and Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA).
The legislation, entitled “The American Steel First Act,” would require federally funded construction projects under the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to use 100% American-made steel products. The Buy America Coalition was instrumental in helping to develop this legislation.
The legislation would expand the successful Buy America Act requirements—which currently applies to Federal
Transportation Administration projects—to also include other projects initiated by the DOT, DOD, and DHS.
An important part of “The American Steel First Act” is that it requires a public comment period for all projects that seek an exemption to these requirements. This provision would allow the domestic steel industry to verify there is no domestic steel available for the project.
By requiring the use of American-made steel products in these federal construction projects, along with other important federally supported projects, this legislation would help to ensure that the national infrastructure is made with quality domestic steel products. The use of these steel products would also create greater economic prosperity for American steelworkers and steel communities across the nation.
The Buy America Coalition is a partnership between AISI, CPTI, NSBA, and SMA. The Coalition was formed in 2006 to represent all of the domestic steel industry in order to work with Congress and the Administration to improve compliance with Buy America laws, and to improve those laws.
AISI serves as the voice of the North American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI also plays a lead role in the development and application of new steels and steelmaking technology. AISI comprises of 31 member companies and 130 associate and affiliate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry.
The CPTI is a non-profit association comprising 37 member companies including steel pipe, tube, and fittings producers and suppliers to the industry. The CPTI serves as a voice for the pipe and tube industry in Washington, D.C., and represents the majority of pipe and tubular companies in the U.S.
The National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA) is a non-profit alliance of companies and individuals who are dedicated to developing and promoting the best in steel bridge design and construction. The national organization is a unified voice representing the steel bridge industry.
SMA is the primary trade association for scrap-based electric arc furnace steelmakers, whose minimills comprise the nation’s largest recyclers and account for nearly 70% of the steel produced in the U.S. today. It consists of 36 North American companies that operate over 130 facilities.
