Washington, DC – Owen Walker and Julia Kopcienski, both attorneys with WBC member firm Smith Pachter McWhorter, presented the informative Buy American, Hire American seminar on June 21 at the WBC. The program provided a practical construction contractor’s guide to compliance with Buy American and other domestic preference requirements. The presentation covered the scope of regulations such as Buy American, Buy America, and the Trade Agreements Act.
The discussion focused on compliance with these regulations and the possible consequences of accidental or intentional non-compliance. President Trump ran on a platform of “Buy American, Hire American” so it is no surprise that strengthening domestic preference regulations is part of his administration’s agenda. What can come as a surprise to unsuspecting contractors is the complex and confusing regulatory framework implementing the current domestic preference requirements on government projects.
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