Notice of Intent to Sole Source - Global Steel and Aluminum Monitoring Services

The Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration is pursuing a sole-source contract to acquire a 12-month subscription to the CRU Asset Platform, beginning September 1, 2026, and ending August 30, 2027, to support the enforcement of trade remedy laws and the analysis of global steel, aluminum, and copper production. This procurement, justified under FAR 12.102(a) and 41 U.S.C. 1901, is necessary because CRU International Ltd. is the only provider with proprietary, plant-level data on global production capacity, cost structures, labor, ownership, energy usage, and emissions—information critical for making like-for-like comparisons between U.S. facilities and foreign competitors, particularly in China and Russia. The subscription grants unlimited, 24/7 web-based access to all ITA employees without requiring software downloads, and includes monthly crude steel production figures, quarterly updates, and real-time analytics tools that enable interactive graphing, dual-perspective cost and emissions analysis, and export to Excel and PowerBI. The vendor is required to maintain a dedicated help desk capable of correcting erroneous data within two business days and to provide direct access to global expert analysts for interpretation and guidance. The platform delivers comprehensive data on aluminum smelting and rolling facilities, copper supply chains, and steel melt and pour operations, with detailed breakdowns of metallics, ferroalloys, and labor costs, enabling the government to assess unfair trade practices and global overcapacity. Data redistribution rights allow ITA to internally disseminate and publicly publish aggregated and transformed analytical outputs, subject to CRU’s approval, with no restrictions on internal use. Performance is entirely digital, with no physical delivery or packaging requirements, and acceptance is based on continuous online availability and data accuracy. The estimated contract value is $1,000,000, though pricing details are not disclosed in the solicitation. No competitive evaluation is planned, as the requirement is justified by the unique and irreplaceable nature of CRU’s data assets, validated by attestations from industry organizations including the American Iron and Steel Institute and the International Aluminum Institute. The contract is managed through the Department of Commerce’s Shared Services Procurement Office, with primary point of contact Tianna Snowden, and no option periods, clause alternates, or formal attachments are included in the procurement documentation.