FAR and DFARS › DFARS Part 225: Foreign Acquisition › Subpart 225.1
DFARS 225.101 General.
The codified text (eCFR, as of 2026-10-02). Under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul ↗, agencies follow class deviations with new text for many parts while the formal rules go through the Federal Register: check the solicitation and your contract's clauses, which rule.
In plain English
This DFARS section sets out a two-part test for when a manufactured end product counts as a domestic end product for DoD. The product must be manufactured in the United States, and its U.S. and qualifying country components must meet certain cost thresholds, with a different rule for products made wholly or predominantly of iron or steel. This matters because it determines whether a contractor's product qualifies as domestic under the Buy American statute.
Applies to: DoD acquisitions of manufactured end products
Key terms: domestic end product · qualifying country · end product · components · commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) fasteners
Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.
The text
(a) For DoD, the following two-part test determines whether a manufactured end product is a domestic end product:
(i) The end product is manufactured in the United States; and
(ii)(A) Except for an end product that consists wholly or predominantly of iron or steel or a combination of both, the cost of its U.S. and qualifying country components exceeds 60 percent of the cost of all its components, except that the percentage will be 65 percent for items delivered in calendar years 2024 through 2028 and 75 percent for items delivered starting in calendar year 2029, but see paragraph (d) of this section. This test is applied to end products only and not to individual components.
(B) For an end product that consists wholly or predominantly of iron or steel or a combination of both, the cost of iron and steel not produced in the United States or a qualifying country must constitute less than 5 percent of the cost of all the components used in the end product. The cost of iron and steel not produced in the United States or a qualifying country includes but is not limited to the cost of iron or steel mill products (such as bar, billet, slab, wire, plate, or sheet), castings, or forgings, not produced in the United States or a qualifying country, utilized in the manufacture of the end product and a good faith estimate of the cost of all iron or steel components not produced in the United States or a qualifying country, excluding commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) fasteners. The domestic content test of the Buy American statute has not been waived for acquisitions of COTS items in this category, except for COTS fasteners.
(c) Additional exceptions that allow the purchase of foreign end products are listed at 225.103.
(d)(1) In lieu of the threshold increases in FAR 25.101(a)(2)(i), use the domestic content threshold increases in paragraph (a)(ii) of this section. The senior procurement executive may approve application of an alternate domestic content test, under which the domestic content threshold in effect at the time of contract award will apply to the entire period of performance of the contract, following consultation with the Office of Management and Budget's Made in America Office. See PGI 225.101 for guidance on documentation requirements when the senior procurement executive approves application of an alternate domestic content test.
(2) When the senior procurement executive allows for application of an alternate domestic content test for the contract pursuant to FAR 25.101(d)(1) (but see paragraph (d)(1) of this section)—
(A) See 225.1101(2)(iv) for use of alternate II of the clause at 252.225-7001, Buy American and Balance of Payments Program;
(B) See 225.1101(2)(v) for use of alternate III of the clause at 252.225-7001, Buy American and Balance of Payments Program;
(C) See 225.1101(9) for use of the basic or alternate provision at 252.225-7035, Buy American—Free Trade Agreements—Balance of Payments Program Certificate, or the basic or alternate clause at 252.225-7036, Buy American—Free Trade Agreements—Balance of Payments Program; and
(D) See 225.1101(10)(i) for use of the basic or alternate clause at 252.225-7036, Buy American—Free Trade Agreements—Balance of Payments Program.
Sections it refers to
- 225.103 Exceptions.
- 25.101 General.
- 225.1101 Acquisition of supplies.
- 252.225-7001 Buy American and Balance of Payments Program.
- 252.225-7035 Buy American—Free Trade Agreements—Balance of Payments Program Certificate.
- 252.225-7036 Buy American—Free Trade Agreements—Balance of Payments Program.
Sections that refer to it
- 225.1101 Acquisition of supplies.
- 225.7503 Contract clauses.
- 252.225-7036 Buy American—Free Trade Agreements—Balance of Payments Program.
← 225.070 Reporting of acquisition of end products manufactured outside the United States. · 225.103 Exceptions. →
Rule changes for DFARS Part 225
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Modifications to Printed Circuit Board Acquisition Restrictions (DFARS Case 2022-D011) ↗ · proposed 2026-07-02 · comments due 2026-08-31
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Small Purchase Exception for the Acquisition of U.S. Flags (DFARS Case 2024-D013) ↗ · proposed 2026-06-25 · comments due 2026-08-24
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Inflation Adjustment of Acquisition-Related Thresholds (DFARS Case 2024-D002) ↗ · final rule 2025-08-25 · effective 2025-10-01
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Technical Amendments ↗ · final rule 2025-08-25 · effective 2025-08-25
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Inflation Adjustment of Acquisition-Related Thresholds (DFARS Case 2024-D002) ↗ · proposed 2025-01-17 · comments due 2025-03-18
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Technical Amendments ↗ · final rule 2024-12-18 · effective 2024-12-18
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Inapplicability of Additional Defense-Unique Laws and Certain Non-Statutory DFARS Clauses to Commercial Item Contracts (DFARS Case 2018-D074) ↗ · final rule 2024-11-15 · effective 2024-11-25
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Technical Amendments ↗ · final rule 2024-11-15 · effective 2024-11-15
Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.