What are “Buy American Compliant” Products?
The Federal Government spends billions of dollars each year to buy goods and services. In fact, the Federal Government is a major buyer in a number of markets for goods and services and the single largest purchaser of consumer goods in the world. The Buy American Act applies to all U.S. federal government agency purchases of goods valued over the threshold of $10,000. When purchased by federal entities for public use, the Act requires that these goods be produced in the U.S. Specifically, a product is considered “Made in America” if 55% of its parts came from the U.S.
The belief is that requiring a higher content of U.S.-made parts will create more opportunities for small and medium-sized manufacturers and their employees – including small and disadvantaged enterprises.
There are exceptions to Buy American requirements. Waivers can be granted for the public interest, or if the cost of U.S. products is unreasonable compared to equivalent foreign products. Waivers may also be granted if products are not produced in the U.S. in sufficient and reasonably available commercial quantities of satisfactory quality.
What are “Set-Asides” for Small Businesses?
The Federal Government also establishes formal goals to ensure small businesses get their fair share of work. Every purchase between $10,000 and $250,000 is automatically set aside for small businesses, as long as at least two companies can provide the product or service at a fair and reasonable price. The special interest groups that are included in this program are:
- Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB)
- Small Disadvantaged Businesses and 8(a) Small Businesses
- Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone) Small Businesses
- Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB)
How do Procurement Managers Find “Buy-American Compliant” Products?
In order to simplify the process for Procurement Managers, the General Services Administration (GSA) administers a federal program called “GSA Global Supply.” The GSA Global Supply program is a requisition-based supply program for customers worldwide, including the DoD. Customers can use a variety of ordering mechanisms to submit requisitions to GSA for delivery globally.
The program makes it easy for military and civilian customers to find and buy products. Customers benefit from leveraged pricing and administrative savings because GSA has already completed a competitive procurement process for each item. GSA also ensures compliance with mandates and other relevant purchasing regulations.
GSA Global Supply offers easy access to common-use items, including:
- Maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO)
- Janitorial and sanitation (JanSan)
- Office Supplies
Buy-American Compliant Products from a Women-Owned Small Business
After more than a century, Alliance is still a family-owned business with a rich and distinctive American heritage. What started as a simple, practical, and reliable solution for everyday life has been transformed by our Alliance Rubber Company team members into a multi-faceted collection of products and tools designed for “Holding Your World Together.”
American-Made
94% of our sales are of American-made products that comply with the standards “Buy American” set aside in conjunction with U.S. government purchases. Consumers who select these products enjoy fresher stock, faster service, better fill-rate, and consistent top quality.
Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Certified
Alliance Rubber Co. has successfully met the Women’s Business enterprise National Council’s standards as a Women’s Business Enterprise and is a certified Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB).
When distributors offer Alliance branded products, they’re able to meet the criteria for GSA set-asides for Women-Owned Small Businesses as well as “Buy-American.”
Want to learn more about the Buy American compliant products available at Alliance Rubber Company? Simply fill out our contact form, and someone will be in contact with you as soon as possible!
