Restoring Reciprocity in Government Procurement

Summary: This presidential memorandum directs federal agencies to remove Canadian-origin items from the U.S. federal procurement system, in response to Canada's "Buy Canadian" policies. Justification: The memo states Canada has imposed barriers to U.S. companies accessing Canadian government procurement, including preferences for Canadian products under its "Buy Canadian" policy, while Canadian companies retain preferential access to over $280 billion annually in U.S. federal procurement covered under the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement. Directives: The OMB Director and U.S. Trade Representative, working with the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council, must identify and remove or restrict Canadian-origin items from federal civil procurement where legally permissible, and notify agencies of domestic alternatives. The OMB Director must periodically update the President on implementation progress. The Trade Representative must continue monitoring Canada's treatment of U.S. goods in its procurement markets and report on whether further action is needed — or whether circumstances (such as a Canadian policy change) might warrant restoring access for Canadian items. Agency heads are authorized to implement the memo within their authority, with ability to redelegate. Standard provisions: The memo doesn't alter existing agency authorities or OMB functions, must be implemented within legal/budgetary limits, creates no enforceable private rights, and assigns publication costs to OMB. Context: This directive complements the same-period Section 338 tariff and import-ban actions against Canada (covering autos, dairy, and alcohol), extending the administration's trade pressure campaign into government procurement policy.