President Trump signs 'buy American and hire American' executive order

The notion he would put 'Americans first' was a cornerstone of Mr Trump's presidential campaign Credit: AP

"We will have two simple rules when it comes to this massive rebuilding effort, buy American and hire American" – President Donald Trump

Today, President Trump rallied in Wisconsin to promote his "Buy American, Hire American" agenda.

In a state where he clinched a Republican presidential victory - the first since 1984 - it was fitting that his first visit to the state since becoming president saw him he sign an executive order to promote American industry and protect it from "unfair competition".

Speaking to technical students and manufacturing employees at the headquarters of Snap-On Tools, a Wisconsin-based manufacturer, Trump told them: "The buy and hire American order I'm about to sign will protect workers and students like you."

The executive order, according to the White House, "targets the abusive use of waivers and exceptions that undermine 'Buy American' laws meant to promote taxpayer money going to American companies".

The executive order will primarily:

  • Instruct federal agencies to conduct a comprehensive assessment aimed at cracking down on weak monitoring and compliance efforts to strengthen Buy American policies;

  • Target waivers and exceptions that have allowed foreign goods unfair advantages in US government procurement;

  • Re-evaluate the H-1B visas that are intended to bring the highest skilled and paid workers to the US;

  • Aim to promote American-made steel by affirming the 'melted and poured' standard for steel production in the US.

Trump wants more products stamped 'Made in the USA' Credit: AP

Throughout his campaign, Candidate Trump vowed that "the American people will come first once again".

President-elect Trump said the US would have "two simple rules when it comes to this massive rebuilding effort, buy American and hire American".

And in his joint address to congress, President Trump re-echoed that the US "national rebuilding will be guided by two core principles: buy American and hire American".

Today telling crowds that the US have watched for too long "as our factories have been closed and our jobs have been sent to faraway lands", Mr Trump was confident that his administration is "going to do everything in our power to make sure more products are stamped with those wonderful words 'Made in the USA".

But more than Trump’s vow to stamp products with the USA's signature,it is Trump's recurrent memo to crack down on immigration that comes into play - cue Trump's pledge to promote rising wages.

In doing so, Trump seeks to "ensure the immigration system isn't abused" by hiring Americans rather than firing "hard-working" US citizens in favour of foreign labourers who, quite frankly, are willing to be paid less than the minimum wage of your average US citizen.

Trump visited the headquarters of Wisconsin-based manufacturer Snap-On Tools Credit: AP

Trump continues to build that metaphorical wall, or, as The White House puts it to "fully enforce the laws governing the entry of foreign workers into the US economy, to promote rising wages and more employment".

Senior administration officials have, unsurprisingly, praised the executive order.

Steven Mnuchin, Secretary of the Treasury said: "I am proud to stand with the president as he leads on prioritizing American workers and American products first.

"These 'Buy American, Hire American' initiatives will stimulate economic and wage growth, while ensuring that our government is using high quality products that are made in the USA."

As we draw closer towards his 100th day as president, yet again Mr Trump has stamped his Trumpian trademark in a bid to bring back jobs to the American people, a fight for skilled craftsmanship to essentially "make America great again".