Rural Electrification Act of 1938 (June 21, 1938, ch. 554, Title IV §401, 52 Stat. 818) provided in part as follows:

In making loans pursuant to this title and pursuant to the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, the Secretary of Agriculture shall require that, to the extent practicable and the cost of which is not unreasonable, the borrower agree to use in connection with the expenditure of such funds only such unmanufactured articles, materials, and supplies, as have been mined or produced in the United States or in any eligible country, and only such manufactured articles materials, and supplies as have been manufactured in the United States or in any eligible country substantially all from articles, materials, or supplies mined, produced, or manufactured, as the case may be, in the United States or in any eligible country. For purposes of this section, an 'eligible country', is any country that applies with respect to the United States an agreement ensuring reciprocal access for United States products and services and United States suppliers to the markets of that country, as determined by the United States Trade Representative.

(As amended by the North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act December 8, 1993, Public Law 103-182, Title III, Subtitle G. §381(d), 107 Stat. 2129, and further amended October 13, 1994, Public Law 103-354, Title II, Subtitle C, §235(b)(3), 108 Stat. 3221; December 8, 1994, Public Law 103-465, Title III, Subtitle E, §342(g), 108 Stat. 4954; 7 U.S.C. 903 note.)