The Berry Amendment: What It Means When You Supply Textiles to the Government
If your contract touches Department of Defense funds and any textiles, the Berry Amendment probably applies. Here is the rule in plain English and what it means for the textiles supplied under your contract.
What is the Berry Amendment?
The Berry Amendment is a federal law requiring the Department of Defense to give preference to domestically produced food, clothing, textiles, and certain other items bought with DoD funds. For textiles, that means the fiber, yarn, fabric, and finished product are generally made in the United States.
It exists to protect the domestic industrial base, especially the textile and clothing supply chain the military depends on. For a contractor, it turns the question of where an item was made into a compliance requirement, not a preference.
How does it affect the laundry behind your contract?
Laundering linen the government already owns is a service and usually is not itself a Berry issue. But the moment your contract has you supplying textiles, such as rental linen, replacement towels and sheets, new uniforms, or mats, those goods typically must be Berry compliant (US-made) when DoD funds are involved.
So if your contract requires US-made textiles, source them from suppliers who can document domestic origin, and keep those records so you can certify compliance if asked.
Berry Amendment vs. the Buy American Act: what is the difference?
The Buy American Act applies broadly across federal procurement and allows foreign content above certain thresholds with price adjustments. The Berry Amendment is narrower and stricter: it applies to DoD and, for covered items like textiles and clothing, generally requires 100% domestic origin with very limited exceptions.
Civilian-agency contracts may instead invoke the Buy American Act or the Trade Agreements Act. Always read the solicitation's clauses, because the FAR and DFARS references tell you which rules govern your specific contract.
Common questions
Does the Berry Amendment apply to non-DoD agencies?
No. The Berry Amendment is specific to Department of Defense funds. Civilian federal agencies are governed by other rules, most commonly the Buy American Act or the Trade Agreements Act, so always check the contract clauses.
Is laundering government linen a Berry Amendment issue?
Generally no. Cleaning government-owned linen is a service. Berry compliance typically comes into play when textiles are supplied, such as rental linen, replacement towels, or new uniforms, under a DoD-funded contract.
How do I prove a textile is Berry-compliant?
Through supplier documentation establishing US origin of the fiber, yarn, fabric, and finished item. Keep certificates of origin so you can certify compliance if the contracting officer requests it.
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