The Consumer Electronics Association has come out strongly against one particular provision in the stimulus package passed by Congress last week: the “Buy American” clause, which calls for the use of U.S.-made materials in projects funded by the package.
The provision is antithetical to the strong support of free trade often emphasized by CEA.
"The ‘Buy American’ provisions in the stimulus bill will signal to our trading partners around the world that the United States is returning to the bad old days of protectionism and economic nationalism," President/CEO Gary Shapiro said in a statement issued Friday. "Rather than stimulate the American economy, these provisions will lead to retaliation from abroad and cost precious jobs in the United States."
President Obama signed the bill, known as The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, on Tuesday.
