The Caltrans Division of Local Assistance (DLA) will release a forthcoming Office Bulletin to highlight the policy changes and provide guidance for implementation of the new Buy America requirements. As part of the Office Bulletin, Exhibit 12-G: Required Federal-aid Contract Language will be updated to incorporate the new requirements.
The final rule amends the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA’s) Buy America regulation to terminate FHWA’s general waiver for manufactured products and establish Buy America requirements for manufactured products with respect to Federal-aid highway projects accordingly:
October 1, 2025: For Federal-aid projects that have an authorization for construction on or after October 1, 2025, all manufactured products permanently incorporated into the project must be assembled in the United States.
October 1, 2026: For Federal-aid projects that have an authorization for construction on or after October 1, 2026, all manufactured products permanently incorporated into the project must both be manufactured in the United States and have the cost of the components of the manufactured product that are mined, produced, or manufactured in the United States be greater than 55 percent of the total cost of all components of the manufactured product.
The attachment below represents a high-level summary of the changes.
For any questions, please contact Girmay Beyene.
