US produced iron and steel

2025-2026 Bill 687: US produced iron and steel - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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S. 687
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Senator Grooms
Companion/Similar bill(s): 4709
Document Path: LC-0348DG26.docx
Introduced in the Senate on January 13, 2026
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on
Finance
Summary: US produced iron and steel
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

12/10/2025

Senate

Prefiled

12/10/2025

Senate

Referred to Committee on
Finance

1/13/2026

Senate

Introduced and read first time (
Senate Journal-page 16
)

1/13/2026

Senate

Referred to Committee on
Finance
(
Senate Journal-page 16
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
12/10/2025

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION
11-35-5350
SO AS TO REQUIRE A PUBLIC ENTITY ENTERING INTO A CONTRACT FOR A
PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT OR FOR THE PURCHASE OF MATERIALS FOR A PUBLIC WORKS
PROJECT MUST INCLUDE IN THE CONTRACT A REQUIREMENT THAT ANY IRON OR STEEL
PRODUCT PERMANENTLY INCORPORATED IN THE PROJECT BE PRODUCED IN THE UNITED
STATES, AND TO PROVIDE EXCEPTIONS.

B
e it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

S
ECTION 1.
A
rticle 23, Chapter 35, Title 11 of the S.C. Code is
amended by adding:

S
ection
11-35-5350
.
(
A) As used in this
section:

(
1)
"Head of the public procurement unit" means the individual with ultimate
responsibility for the administration and operations of the state or local
public procurement unit, as applicable.

(
2)
"Iron or steel product" means any product made primarily of iron or steel
including, but not limited to, lined or unlined pipes and fittings; bars and
rods; wire, wire ropes, and link chains; forgings; grating and drainage
products; access covers, hatches, manhole covers, and other castings; hydrants;
electric transmission and distribution poles; tanks; flanges; pipe clamps and
restraints; valves; structural steel and other steel mill products; materials
made primarily of iron and steel within precast concrete; and other
construction materials made primarily of iron or steel.

(
3)
"Made primarily of iron or steel" means composed primarily of greater than
fifty percent iron or steel measured by component cost, volume, or weight.

(
4)
"Manufacturing process" means the application of a process to alter the form or
function of materials or elements of a product in a manner that adds value and
transforms the materials or elements into a new finished product functionally
different from a finished product produced merely from assembling materials or
elements into a product without applying such a process.

(
5)
"Produced in the United States" means that, with respect to iron and steel, all
manufacturing processes, from initial melting through application of coatings,
occur in the United States, other than metallurgical processes to refine steel
additives.

(
6)
"Public entity" means the State, or any political subdivision of the State,
including a school district or agency, department, institution, or other public
entity of them.

(
7)
"Public works project" subject to the requirements of this section and
notwithstanding the provisions of Section
11-35-710
(A)(1) to the contrary,
means an activity paid for with any state-appropriated funds or state funds
administered by a public entity which consists of the construction,
maintenance, repair, renovation, remodeling, or improvement of a building,
road, street, sewer, storm drain, water system, site development, irrigation system,
reclamation project, gas or electrical distribution system, gas or electrical
substation, or other facility, project, or portion owned in whole or in part by
any public entity.

(
B)
(
1) Except as provided otherwise in
this section, a public entity entering into a contract for a public works
project or for the purchase of materials for a public works project must
include in the contract a requirement that any iron or steel product permanently
incorporated in the project be produced in the United States.

(
2)
Item (1) does not apply if the head of the public procurement unit of the
public entity administering the funds for a public works project or the
purchase of materials for a public works project solely determines that any of
the following applies:

(
a)
Iron or steel products produced in the United States are not produced in
sufficient quantities, reasonably available, or of satisfactory quality.

(
b)
The use of iron or steel products produced in the United States will increase
the total cost of the project by more than twenty-five percent.

(
c)
Complying with item (1) is inconsistent with the public interest.

(
3)
Notwithstanding item (1), the following exceptions shall apply:

(
a)
When steel and iron materials are used in a public works project, item (1) does
not prevent a minimal use of foreign steel and iron materials if:

(
i) such materials are incidental or
ancillary to the primary product and are not separately identified in the
project specifications; and

(
ii) the cost of such materials does
not exceed one-tenth of one percent of the project's total steel and iron costs
or two thousand five hundred dollars, whichever is greater. For purposes of
this subitem, the cost of such materials is shown to be the value of the iron
or steel products as they are delivered to the project; and

(
b)
the foreign steel and iron material is a component or components comprising
five percent or less of the materials cost of an otherwise domestically
produced steel or iron product.

(
4)
Electrical components, equipment, systems, and appurtenances, including
supports, covers, shielding, and other appurtenances related to an electrical
system, necessary for operation or concealment, except transmission and
distribution poles, are not considered iron or steel products and are exempt
from the requirements of item (1).

(
C)
This section must be applied in a manner consistent with, and may not be
construed to impair, the state's obligations under any international agreement.

(
D)
The State Fiscal Accountability Authority shall develop guidelines and
procedures by rule to implement this section. The rules must be implemented
consistent with federal policies implementing the American iron and steel
preference law applied to the "Safe Drinking Water Act," pursuant to 42 U.S.C.
300j-12(a)(4)(C).

(
E)
This section does not apply to contracts procured by the Department of
Transportation subject to the Buy America requirements of 23 C.F.R. 635.410.

S
ECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.

----XX----

This web page was last updated on January 13, 2026 at 1:08 PM