As Congress begins work on the next surface transportation reauthorization bill, the choices made now will shape America’s infrastructure and manufacturing strength for decades.
This week, Common Sense America submitted a letter to congressional leaders urging a simple but overdue fix: expand Buy America requirements to include cement.
Why Cement Can’t Be Ignored
Cement and concrete are essential to every major transportation project in the country. Yet despite their importance, cement is excluded from current Build America, Buy America standards.
That gap matters.
- U.S. transportation projects use over 36 million metric tons of cement each year
- Domestic production declined in 2024
- 22% of cement used in the U.S. is imported, often with limited transparency
- Future demand will rise as infrastructure projects compete with housing and data center construction
If federal infrastructure investments are meant to strengthen America, the materials behind them should be made here at home.
The Case for Including Cement in Buy America
Updating Buy America to include cement would:
- Strengthen domestic manufacturing
- Support hundreds of thousands of American jobs
- Improve quality and accountability in federally funded projects
- Reduce reliance on foreign imports for a strategic material
- Strong infrastructure starts with strong foundations. Policy should reflect that reality.
Read the Letter
We are sharing the full letter to Congress to help inform the public discussion.
Letter to Congress – Support American Manufacturing in Surface Transportation Reauthorization
To learn more about why American-made cement is critical to infrastructure, jobs, and national security, visit our dedicated site: American Foundations
Nothing gets built without cement.
America’s future shouldn’t be built on imported foundations.
