Ending Berry Amendment exemptions urged

Two exemptions in the Berry Amendment that allow U.S. government procurement of imported para-aramid and fire-resistant fibers are unwarranted and should be eliminated, according to Senator Jim Webb, D-Va. The Berry Amendment requires the Department of Defense to give preference in its procurement to domestically produced, manufactured or home-grown products, excepting para-aramids and fire-resistant fibers not widely available in the U.S. marketplace. Since then, the U.S. market has changed, and U.S. producers such as DuPont, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of Kevlar® para-aramid and Nomex® fire-resistant fibers, are cutting jobs while imports continue. Webb called on Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to review and discontinue the exemptions. For more details, see webb.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=312720.