White House memorandum directs removal of Canadian-origin items from federal civil procurement

The White House issued a presidential memorandum directing the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the U.S. Trade Representative, in coordination with the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council, to identify and take all steps permitted by law to remove or make non-available Canadian-origin items from the Federal civil procurement system, and to notify agencies of domestic alternatives. The memorandum cites Canada's "Buy Canadian" policy and provincial procurement limits on U.S. companies, and notes Canadian companies' access to U.S. procurement covered under the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement, which it states amounts to over $280 billion annually.