---
title: "BUILD Act of 2018 Definition | Model Diplomat"
description: "The BUILD Act of 2018 is a U.S. law that established the Development Finance Corporation to counter Chinese infrastructure influence globally."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/build-act-of-2018"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The BUILD Act of 2018 is a U.
- S.
- What institution did the BUILD Act create and from what predecessor?
- What was the principal new authority granted by the BUILD Act?
- Why is the BUILD Act associated with China?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

The BUILD Act of 2018 is a U.S. statute that created the Development Finance Corporation, consolidating federal development-finance tools to counter Chinese infrastructure influence abroad.

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## Timeline

1. 5 October 2018

   The Better Utilization of Investments Leading to Development Act of 2018, commonly the BUILD Act, was enacted as Division F of the Consolidated Appropriation…

2. 20 December 2019

   The DFC became operational on .

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Example

In 2020, the newly operational U.S. DFC, created by the BUILD Act, committed financing to telecommunications and energy projects across sub-Saharan Africa under the Prosper Africa initiative to counter Chinese Belt and Road lending.

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