Concerns over increased construction costs following Trump executive orders

President Donald Trump recently signed executive orders that could raise the cost of construction projects.

Trump aims to place new restrictions on foreign worker visas and limit the materials that public agencies can buy from foreign manufacturers. The President’s "Buy American, Hire American" order includes increased restrictions on the waivers that public agencies use to buy goods from overseas.

That measure requires agency chiefs to sign off on any exemptions to domestic sourcing requirements and mandates that transportation projects use steel that has been melted and poured in the U.S. Trump’s actions include a revamping of the H-1B skilled-worker lottery program that governs certain foreign workers’ ability to work in the U.S.

The executive order calls for a 220-day review period by agency heads to figure out how to make the changes necessary to comply. There will be no changes to existing rules for several months.