"Buy America" Clause Allows Imports From 38 Countries

New York Times (2/21, Uchitelle) – "The 'Buy America' clause in the $787 billion stimulus package signed into law on Tuesday has a certain quaintness to it," as "far more than in the past, the phrase has come to mean 'Buy America - if it is still made here.'" Take, for instance, "the $43 billion earmarked for green technology. Most of the nation's solar panels and wind turbines are imported, mainly from Europe and Asia, and the new law waves aside Buy America restrictions if 'the relevant manufactured goods are not produced in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities.'" The clause "will apply mainly to the nearly $150 billion that will be spent on infrastructure projects, including green technology," and will allow "imports from the 38 countries with which the United States has trade agreements." Hat Tip: NAM