What the FAA page says
As read on 24 October 2026, the FAA’s Buy American Preference Requirements page says the preferences under 49 U.S.C. § 50101 require that all steel and manufactured goods used in Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funded projects be produced in the United States, and that grant recipients must certify this. It says FAA may waive the preferences if certain conditions exist, listing four:
- applying the preferences would be inconsistent with the public interest;
- the U.S.-produced steel or goods are not produced in a sufficient and reasonably available amount or are not of satisfactory quality;
- the cost of U.S.-produced components and subcomponents is more than 60 percent of the cost of all components of the equipment, and final assembly occurs in the United States; or
- including domestic material will increase the cost of the overall project by more than 25 percent.
The page also says to request a waiver on a specific project through the regional office or Airport District Office, that forms for a content calculation and final assembly questionnaire may be required, and that FAA headquarters keeps a list of equipment that has received a nationwide waiver, so sponsors need not request waivers for equipment on that conformance list.
Checklist for buyers
| Check | Why |
|---|---|
| Is the purchase part of an AIP-funded project? | The requirement applies to AIP-funded projects |
| Does the specification require compliance in the solicitation? | Bidders must know up front |
| Is the item on a nationwide waiver or conformance list? | May avoid a separate request |
| Can the supplier document U.S. content and final assembly? | The waiver forms ask for it |
| Has the FAA regional or district office been consulted? | They decide waivers |
| Is the certification signed after verification? | The sponsor certifies |
What this does not answer
- It does not say whether any particular edge or plow qualifies.
- It does not cover other funding programs, which have their own rules.
Boundary: General information from one FAA page, not legal advice; requirements and lists change, so verify with the FAA and your grant documents before any decision.
Sources and further reading. External references are dated; where a figure is quoted, the link shows where it came from.
Federal Aviation Administration: Buy American Preference Requirements (AIP) (page showed waiver lists as of 2026-10-20; read 2026-10-24) ↗Airport Snow Removal Vehicles and Equipment: Market Structure and Buying Trends ↗Snow Plow Compatibility by Truck Model: What to Check Before Buying a Blade ↗Carbide snow plow blades ↗Do Worn Edges Show Up in Friction Reports? What We Know and What We Do Not ↗A Runway Clearance Window: What Edge Failures Cost Within It ↗Taxiway Shoulders and Blast Pads: Edge Contact Risks Off the Main Pavement ↗
