On January 31, President Trump signed Executive Order 13858 entitled Strengthening Buy American Preferences for Infrastructure Projects. Executive Order 13858 is designed to strengthen the “Buy American principle” for Federal infrastructure spending by encouraging Federal funding recipients to use more American-made products in their infrastructure projects.

According to Kelley Drye & Warren, the Executive Order directs federal agencies to encourage federal assistance recipients to use – to the greatest extent possible – iron, steel and manufactured products in projects receiving the federal assistance, though it falls short of mandating they do so.