# South Carolina Requires U.S.-Made Steel

South Carolina approved guidelines implementing a state law that requires U.S.-made iron and steel in certain state-funded public works, including buildings, roads, and water and sewer systems. The requirement applies even when state funding covers only part of a project. Exceptions are permitted when domestic materials are unavailable in sufficient quantities or would increase total project costs by more than 25%; South Carolina Department of Transportation projects already covered by federal Buy America requirements are excluded.

- Contractors and suppliers should assess domestic iron and steel sourcing, availability, and cost impacts for affected projects, including projects with only partial state funding.
- Procurement teams should distinguish covered state-funded work from SCDOT projects subject to federal Buy America requirements when evaluating material requirements and bids.
- The cost exception is tied to an increase of more than 25% in total project costs, so firms should document material availability and cost effects when assessing whether an exception may apply.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Construction & Infrastructure
**Topics:** Regulatory Compliance, Policy
**Published:** October 13, 2026

### Government Entities
- South Carolina State Fiscal Accountability Authority (SFAA)
- South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT)

### Vendors
- Nucor ()
- CMC ()

### Key Quotes
> If we do see these laws scale up across multiple states, then that will magnify the benefits and potentially magnify the costs as well,
> — Joseph Von Nessen, research economist at the Darla Moore School of Business

### Sources
- [South Carolina moves to require U.S.-made steel and iron in public construction projects | wltx.com](https://www.wltx.com/article/news/local/south-carolina-to-require-us-made-steel-iron-public-construction-projects/101-10c97be5-345c-4b79-8b8e-894014454e36) - WLTX