WASHINGTON, D.C., August 26, 2026 — Common Sense America (CSA) President and
Founder Steve Crim wrote to President Donald J. Trump congratulating him and
Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy on the extraordinary pace of American
infrastructure construction, while urging the administration to close a loophole that leaves cement — the one material every one of those projects depends on — without Buy America protection.
“On behalf of Common Sense America (CSA), I write to congratulate you and Secretary
Duffy on the extraordinary pace of American building,” wrote Crim, who leads the American Foundations project. “In a single year, your administration has launched the most ambitious slate of transportation projects in generations. As our nation marks 250 years of independence, Americans can once again watch their country build.”
The letter warned that the United States now imports more than 20 percent of the cement it consumes, with Turkey alone accounting for nearly a third of those imports, and that Chinese producers will look to offload surplus abroad as their domestic property sector contracts.
“Foreign cement frequently bypasses the production standards and third-party verification that American cement must meet,” Crim wrote. “When it fails, it fails in a runway, a bridge pier, or a tunnel liner, long after the ribbon has been cut.”
The letter further called on the administration to designate cement a critical material for national security, to direct a Section 232 investigation into the effect of cement imports on that security, and to expand USTR’s ongoing Section 301 review of structural excess capacity to include Turkey, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates. Crim noted that the cement and concrete industry contributes $159 billion to the U.S. economy and supports 577,000 American jobs.
“National security starts with strong foundations, and that means ensuring every bag of cement used in our public works is manufactured right here at home,” Crim concluded. “You are building more, and building it faster, than any administration in living memory. We ask only that what you build be American all the way down.”
See here for the full letter.
About American Foundations
American Foundations, a project of Common Sense America, is committed to ensuring
that our nation’s infrastructure is built on strong, reliable cement — made right here at
home. Learn more at: strongamericanfoundations.org.