ECONOMY/JOBS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Donald Trump’s effort to force the federal government to ‘Buy American’ will be a challenge as foreign-owned companies already hauled in more money from federal contracts in the past three months than in any corresponding period in a decade.
Much of the payout to foreign-owned firms in the first quarter of this calendar year was set in motion by the Obama administration, a trend likely to continue throughout Mr. Trump’s first year.
Foreign businesses received $404 million from federal contracts during Mr. Trump’s first 85 days, according to an analysis of contract data by The Wall Street Journal. That is double the amount paid to foreign firms during President Barack Obama’s first three months in office, after adjusting for inflation. For the current fiscal year beginning in October, foreign businesses have received a bigger share of federal contract dollars than in any other year since at least 2009.
On Tuesday, Mr. Trump launched a 220-day review across all agencies aimed at detecting loopholes and waivers that undercut existing initiatives to buy domestic products.
But the Trump administration will be swimming against the tide.”
-Coulter Jones and Shane Shifflett, “In ‘Buy American’ Push, Trump Is Starting in a Hole,” The Wall Street Journal online, April 21, 2017 5:30am