Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

EU Reportedly Considering 'New Legal Tool' as Response to Biden's 'Buy American' Order

EU Reportedly Considering 'New Legal Tool' as Response to Biden's 'Buy American' Order

In late January, POTUS inked the so-called "Buy American" order, an executive action that Joe Biden said would help "rebuild the backbone of America: manufacturing, unions, and the middle class".

In the coming weeks, Brussels may take a countermeasure to press EU member states to "Buy European", in retaliation for Washington's "Buy American" drive, Politico reports.

According to the US news outlet, the so-called International Procurement Initiative is touted as "a new legal tool" that stipulates sticking to the concept of "reciprocity" in major public contracts to shore up the EU's industrial giants.

The new law aims "to effectively shut out companies from countries where European businesses are barred from tenders, leveraging the EU's giant €2 trillion [$2.4 trillion] procurement market in everything from highways and trains to public IT systems", Politico underlined.


The news outlet cited unnamed sources as saying that the International Procurement Initiative is expected to provide Brussels with more authority "to force Washington to keep its market open".

The law will allow the European Commission to investigate whether certain procurement markets in countries outside the EU are closed to the bloc's bids. If Brussels concludes that those markets are closed, it will start consultations to make local authorities open them, according to the sources.

They added "should that fail, the Commission would then decide whether to propose a 'score adjustment' — essentially making bids from the penalised country more costly through a points-based regime — or to completely exclude bids from companies based in that country".

EU Trade Boss Vows to Assess Biden's 'Buy American' Push for Compliance With WTO Rules


The comments come after European Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis told Politico in February that the EU is concerned about the Biden administration's push to implement its "Buy American" plan.

Dombrovskis pledged that the EU would keep a watchful eye on whether preferential treatment for US contractors working on public projects was in line with Washington's international obligations. At the same time, the commissioner kept mum on whether the Biden administration is breaking World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules with the "Buy American" mantra.

"As regards 'Buy American', this is something which will require some more in-depth assessment, what are the exact implications, what are the implications for EU companies, what does it mean for US commitments in the WTO framework", Dombrovskis noted.

He spoke after US President Joe Biden signed an executive order on 25 January to strengthen domestic manufacturing and create a spate of markets for new technologies. He told reporters before signing the "Buy American" order that the US "can't sit on the sidelines in the race to the future" because its competitors "aren't waiting".

Last summer, then-White House trade adviser Peter Navarro accused then-presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Biden of trying to copy part of former President Donald Trump's 2016 economic plan.

"He's just blatantly ripping off the president's 'Buy American' agenda […]", Navarro told Fox News at the time, describing Biden as a "poll-driven plagiarist".

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
×