FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 52: Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses › Subpart 52.2
FAR 52.225-22 Notice of Required Use of American Iron, Steel, and Manufactured Goods—Buy American Statute—Construction Materials.
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 provision tells offerors how the Government will handle requests to use foreign construction materials instead of domestic ones under the Buy American statute. It explains when to submit a request for a determination of inapplicability, how offers using foreign materials will be evaluated with price penalties, and how alternate offers based on domestic materials work. It matters because using foreign construction material can raise your evaluated price or make your offer nonresponsive.
Applies to: Offerors on solicitations for construction contracts subject to the Buy American statute for construction materials
What it requires
- Submit a request for a determination of inapplicability to the Contracting Officer in time to allow a determination before submission of offers
- Include the information and applicable supporting data required by paragraphs (c) and (d) of FAR 52.225-21 in the request
- If you did not request a determination before submitting your offer, or did not receive a response, include the information and supporting data in the offer
- If submitting an alternate offer, submit a separate Standard Form 1442 and a separate cost comparison table prepared in accordance with paragraphs (c) and (d) of FAR 52.225-21
Key terms: construction material · domestic construction material · foreign construction material · manufactured construction material · unmanufactured construction material
Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.
The text
As prescribed in 25.1102(e), insert the following provision:
Notice of Required Use of American Iron, Steel, and Manufactured Goods—Buy American Statute—Construction Materials (JAN 2021)
(a) Definitions. “Construction material,” “domestic construction material,” “foreign construction material,” “manufactured construction material,” “steel,” and “unmanufactured construction material,” as used in this provision, are defined in the clause of this solicitation entitled “Required Use of Iron, Steel, and Manufactured Goods—Buy American Statute—Construction Materials” (Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clause 52.225-21).
(b) Requests for determinations of inapplicability. An Offeror requesting a determination regarding the inapplicability of section 1605 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 111-5) (Recovery Act) or the Buy American statute should submit the request to the Contracting Officer in time to allow a determination before submission of offers. The Offeror shall include the information and applicable supporting data required by paragraphs (c) and (d) of the clause at FAR 52.225-21 in the request. If an Offeror has not requested a determination regarding the inapplicability of section 1605 of the Recovery Act or the Buy American statute before submitting its offer, or has not received a response to a previous request, the Offeror shall include the information and supporting data in the offer.
(c) Evaluation of offers. (1) If the Government determines that an exception based on unreasonable cost of domestic construction material applies in accordance with FAR 25.604, the Government will evaluate an offer requesting exception to the requirements of section 1605 of the Recovery Act or the Buy American statute by adding to the offered price of the contract—
(i) 25 percent of the offered price of the contract, if foreign manufactured construction material is incorporated in the offer based on an exception for unreasonable cost of comparable manufactured domestic construction material; and
(ii) 20 percent of the cost of foreign unmanufactured construction material included in the offer based on an exception for the unreasonable cost of comparable domestic unmanufactured construction material.
(2) If the solicitation specifies award on the basis of factors in addition to cost or price, the Contracting Officer will apply the evaluation factors as specified in paragraph (c)(1) of this provision and use the evaluated price in determining the offer that represents the best value to the Government.
(3) Unless paragraph (c)(2) of this provision applies, if two or more offers are equal in price, the Contracting Officer will give preference to an offer that does not include foreign construction material excepted at the request of the Offeror on the basis of unreasonable cost of comparable domestic construction material.
(d) Alternate offers. (1) When an offer includes foreign construction material not listed by the Government in this solicitation in paragraph (b)(3) of the clause at FAR 52.225-21, the Offeror also may submit an alternate offer based on use of equivalent domestic construction material.
(2) If an alternate offer is submitted, the Offeror shall submit a separate Standard Form 1442 for the alternate offer and a separate cost comparison table prepared in accordance with paragraphs (c) and (d) of the clause at FAR 52.225-21 for the offer that is based on the use of any foreign construction material for which the Government has not yet determined an exception applies.
(3) If the Government determines that a particular exception requested in accordance with paragraph (c) of the clause at FAR 52.225-21 does not apply, the Government will evaluate only those offers based on use of the equivalent domestic construction material, and the Offeror shall be required to furnish such domestic construction material. An offer based on use of the foreign construction material for which an exception was requested—
(i) Will be rejected as nonresponsive if this acquisition is conducted by sealed bidding; or
(ii) May be accepted if revised during negotiations.
(End of provision)
Alternate I (MAY 2014). As prescribed in 25.1102(e), substitute the following paragraph (b) for paragraph (b) of the basic provision:
(b) Requests for determinations of inapplicability. An offeror requesting a determination regarding the inapplicability of section 1605 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 111-5) (Recovery Act) or the Buy American statute shall submit the request with its offer, including the information and applicable supporting data required by paragraphs (c) and (d) of the clause at FAR 52.225-21.
Sections it refers to
← 52.225-21 Required Use of American Iron, Steel, and Manufactured Goods—Buy American Statute—Construction Materials. · 52.225-23 Required Use of American Iron, Steel, and Manufactured Goods—Buy American Statute—Construction Materials Under Trade Agreements. →
Rule changes for FAR Part 52
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary FAR Overhaul Parts 8, 12, 13, 15, 38, 44, and 51 ↗ · proposed 2026-09-18 · comments due 2026-10-19
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 16, 17, and 35 ↗ · proposed 2026-09-18 · comments due 2026-10-19
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 9, 27, and 47 ↗ · proposed 2026-09-18 · comments due 2026-10-19
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 14, 28, 36, and 52 ↗ · proposed 2026-09-18 · comments due 2026-10-19
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 3 and 49 ↗ · proposed 2026-06-23 · comments due 2026-07-23
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 5, 24, and 29 ↗ · proposed 2026-06-23 · comments due 2026-07-23
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 6, 7, 10, 18, 26, 37, and 41 ↗ · proposed 2026-06-23 · comments due 2026-07-23
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 1, 2, 4, 33, 39, 40, and 53 ↗ · proposed 2026-06-23 · comments due 2026-07-23
Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.