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Foreign firms have repeatedly been low bidders on U.S. federal projects only to have their offers passed over. Reason: the 1933 Buy American Act gives preference to U.S. companies, and in practice domestic bidders have been protected by a 25% price differential. Last week President Eisenhower moved to liberalize the Buy American Act, instructed White House aides to draft an executive order to lower the price preferential. The new figure: around 12%. The move had been foreshadowed earlier this month (TIME, Nov. 15) when a British turbine manufacturer won a million-dollar Government contract with a bid only 11.8% below the nearest U.S. offer.

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