London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

EU Reportedly Considering 'New Legal Tool' as Response to Biden's 'Buy American' Order

EU Reportedly Considering 'New Legal Tool' as Response to Biden's 'Buy American' Order

In late January, POTUS inked the so-called "Buy American" order, an executive action that Joe Biden said would help "rebuild the backbone of America: manufacturing, unions, and the middle class".

In the coming weeks, Brussels may take a countermeasure to press EU member states to "Buy European", in retaliation for Washington's "Buy American" drive, Politico reports.

According to the US news outlet, the so-called International Procurement Initiative is touted as "a new legal tool" that stipulates sticking to the concept of "reciprocity" in major public contracts to shore up the EU's industrial giants.

The new law aims "to effectively shut out companies from countries where European businesses are barred from tenders, leveraging the EU's giant €2 trillion [$2.4 trillion] procurement market in everything from highways and trains to public IT systems", Politico underlined.


The news outlet cited unnamed sources as saying that the International Procurement Initiative is expected to provide Brussels with more authority "to force Washington to keep its market open".

The law will allow the European Commission to investigate whether certain procurement markets in countries outside the EU are closed to the bloc's bids. If Brussels concludes that those markets are closed, it will start consultations to make local authorities open them, according to the sources.

They added "should that fail, the Commission would then decide whether to propose a 'score adjustment' — essentially making bids from the penalised country more costly through a points-based regime — or to completely exclude bids from companies based in that country".

EU Trade Boss Vows to Assess Biden's 'Buy American' Push for Compliance With WTO Rules


The comments come after European Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis told Politico in February that the EU is concerned about the Biden administration's push to implement its "Buy American" plan.

Dombrovskis pledged that the EU would keep a watchful eye on whether preferential treatment for US contractors working on public projects was in line with Washington's international obligations. At the same time, the commissioner kept mum on whether the Biden administration is breaking World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules with the "Buy American" mantra.

"As regards 'Buy American', this is something which will require some more in-depth assessment, what are the exact implications, what are the implications for EU companies, what does it mean for US commitments in the WTO framework", Dombrovskis noted.

He spoke after US President Joe Biden signed an executive order on 25 January to strengthen domestic manufacturing and create a spate of markets for new technologies. He told reporters before signing the "Buy American" order that the US "can't sit on the sidelines in the race to the future" because its competitors "aren't waiting".

Last summer, then-White House trade adviser Peter Navarro accused then-presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Biden of trying to copy part of former President Donald Trump's 2016 economic plan.

"He's just blatantly ripping off the president's 'Buy American' agenda […]", Navarro told Fox News at the time, describing Biden as a "poll-driven plagiarist".

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
×