View source for Office of the United States Trade Representative

{{Organization
|OrganizationName=Office of the United States Trade Representative
|OrganizationType=Executive Departments (Sub-organization)
|Mission=The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) develops and coordinates U.S. international trade, commodity, and direct investment policy, and leads or directs negotiations with other countries. It works to open markets for U.S. goods and services, promote fair trade, and ensure that U.S. trade laws are enforced.
|ParentOrganization=Executive Office of the President
|CreationLegislation=Trade Expansion Act of 1962
|Employees=240
|Budget=$54M (FY 2016)
|OrganizationExecutive=United States Trade Representative
|Services=Trade agreement negotiations; Trade policy development; Trade dispute resolution; Monitoring trade compliance; Public engagement and stakeholder consultation
|Regulations=Administers Section 301 investigations; Oversees trade agreements implementation
|HeadquartersLocation=38.89759, -77.03978
|HeadquartersAddress=600 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20508, USA
|Website=https://ustr.gov/
}}
{{Short description|United States trade body}}

{{Infobox government agency
| agency_name     = Office of the United States Trade Representative
| seal            = US-TradeRepresentative-Seal.svg
| seal_width      = 140px
| seal_caption    = Seal of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
| logo            = Flag of the United States Trade Representative.svg{{!}}border
| logo_caption    = Flag of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
| formed          = 1962
| preceding1      = Office of the Special Trade Representative
| headquarters    = [[Winder Building]] 600 17th St. NW [[Washington, D.C.]]
| employees       = 200
| chief1_name     = [[Katherine Tai]]
| chief1_position = Trade Representative
| parent_agency   = [[Executive Office of the President of the United States]]
| website         = {{official url}}
| jurisdiction    = 
| budget          = $73 million (FY 2021)
}}

The '''Office of the United States Trade Representative''' ('''USTR''') is an agency of the [[Federal government of the United States|United States federal government]] responsible for developing and promoting [[Foreign trade of the United States|United States foreign trade policies]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mission of the USTR {{!}} United States Trade Representative|url=https://ustr.gov/about-us/about-ustr|access-date=2021-03-12|website=ustr.gov}}</ref> Part of the [[Executive Office of the President of the United States|Executive Office of the President]], it is headed by the '''U.S. trade representative''', a [[Cabinet of the United States|Cabinet-level position]] that serves as the [[President of the United States|United States president]]'s primary advisor, negotiator, and spokesperson on trade matters. USTR has more than two hundred employees, with offices in [[Geneva]], [[Switzerland]], and [[Brussels]], [[Belgium]].

USTR was established as the Office of the Special Trade Representative (STR) by the [[Trade Expansion Act]] of 1962, leads trade negotiations at bilateral and multilateral levels, and coordinates trade policy with other government agencies through the Trade Policy Committee<ref>{{Cite web|title=15 CFR § 2002.0 - Trade Policy Committee.|url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/15/2002.0|access-date=2022-01-19}}</ref> (TPC), Trade Policy Committee Review Group<ref>{{Cite web|title=15 CFR § 2002.1 - Trade Policy Committee Review Group.|url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/15/2002.1|access-date=2022-01-19}}</ref> (TPCRG), and Trade Policy Staff Committee<ref>{{Cite web|title=15 CFR § 2002.2 - Trade Policy Staff Committee.|url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/15/2002.2|access-date=2022-01-19}}</ref> (TPSC). Its areas of expertise include foreign direct investment, commodity agreements, trade-related intellectual property protection, and trade disputes before the [[World Trade Organization]]. Based in Washington, D.C., [[Katherine Tai]] is the current United States Trade Representative.

==Organization==
===Leadership===
The head of the office holds the title of '''United States Trade Representative''' (USTR), which is a [[United States Cabinet|Cabinet]]-level position, though not technically within the Cabinet, as is the case with office heads not of US departments but rather of offices contained within the [[Executive Office of the President of the United States|Executive Office of the President]]. To fill the post, the [[President of the United States|president]] nominates someone for the position, and the appointment is then approved or rejected by a simple majority of the [[United States Senate|Senate]]. The United States trade representative and deputy United States trade representatives (DUSTR) carry the title of [[ambassador]].

In the [[Obama administration]], [[Michael Froman]] served as the US trade representative from 2013 to 2017, with [[Michael Punke]] and [[Robert Holleyman]] serving as deputy US trade representatives.<ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-taps-penny-pritzker-mike-froman-for-top-economic-jobs/ Obama taps Penny Pritzker, Mike Froman for top economic jobs] . CBS News (2013-05-02). Retrieved on 2013-08-12.</ref> Ambassador Punke also concurrently served as the U.S. ambassador to the [[World Trade Organization|World Trade Organization (WTO)]]. [[Robert Lighthizer]] served during the [[Trump's first presidency]]. [[Katherine Tai]], the current U.S. trade representative, was nominated by [[Joe Biden]] and confirmed by the Senate on March 17, 2021, by a vote of 98–0.

===Office of WTO and Multilateral Affairs===
The USTR participates in the World Trade Organization, which is currently in the [[Doha Development Round]]. This is partially managed by the USTR Office of WTO and Multilateral Affairs (WAMA). Relevant WTO agreements include the [[Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights]] (TRIPS) and the [[Generalized System of Preferences]].

==History of the United States Trade Representative==
Trade negotiations became more complicated in the twentieth century with the rise of multilateral organizations and technological advances allowing for more commerce. As a result, the organization of the U.S. government (with Congress in charge of regulating foreign commerce and the executive branch in charge of treaties) became less efficient and in 1962 Congress passed a bill calling for the president to appoint a Special Representative for Trade Negotiations who would make suggestions to the president on the matters of trade.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Claussen|first=Kathleen|date=2017|title=Trading Spaces: The Changing Role of the Executive in U.S. Trade Lawmaking|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2979/indjglolegstu.24.2.0345|journal=Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies|volume=24|issue=2|pages=345–368|doi=10.2979/indjglolegstu.24.2.0345|jstor=10.2979/indjglolegstu.24.2.0345|s2cid=158184598 |issn=1080-0727}}</ref> In the 1970s, Congress expanded this position, making it more accountable to Congress (the position has been called "a creature of congress"<ref name=":2">U.S. Trade Policy Functions: Who Does What? (2020). Congressional Research Service. Retrieved from https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/IF11016.pdf on 2021-01-14.</ref>), and made it cabinet-level. Finally, in 1980 the position was renamed the United States Trade Representative.<ref name=":1" />

The [[Omnibus Foreign Trade and Competitiveness Act|Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988]] elevated the position's role to "coordinate trade policy, serve as the President's principal trade advisor and trade 'spokesperson', and lead U.S. international trade negotiations".<ref name=":2" /> It also "required the USTR to report to both the President and Congress".<ref name=":2" />

==Issue areas==
* Agriculture
* Economy and trade
* Enforcement
* Environment
* Government procurement
* Industry and manufacturing
* Intellectual property
* Labor
* Preference Programs
* Services and Investment
* Small Business
* Textiles and apparel
* Trade and development
* Trade organizations (The [[World Trade Organization]] (WTO), [[Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation]] (APEC), [[Association of Southeast Asian Nations]] (ASEAN), and the [[OECD|Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development]] (OECD).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Issue Areas {{!}} United States Trade Representative|url=https://ustr.gov/issue-areas|access-date=2018-11-14|website=ustr.gov|language=en}}</ref>

==Reports==
===''National Trade Estimate''===
The ''National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers'' (''National Trade Estimate'' or ''NTE'') is an annual series prepared by the USTR, which reports significant foreign barriers to U.S. exports. Since 1986, the ''NTE'' has provided, where feasible, quantitative estimates of the impact of these foreign practices on the value of U.S. exports. Information is also included on actions taken to eliminate barriers.<ref name="ReportsAndPublications">{{cite web |url=http://www.ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/reports-and-publications |title=Reports and Publications |author=Office of the United States Trade Representative |access-date=25 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111171101/http://www.ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/reports-and-publications |archive-date=November 11, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It is based on information provided by USTR, the [[U.S. Department of Commerce|U.S. departments of commerce]] and [[U.S. Department of Agriculture|agriculture]], and other agencies and sources.<ref name=ReportsAndPublications />

===The Special 301 Report===
{{Main|Special 301 Report}}

[[Image:Annual Special 301 Report countries.png|thumb|right|230px|{{legend|#7851A9|Priority Foreign Country}} {{legend|#ff5254|Priority Watch List}} {{legend|#fcb653|Watch List}} {{legend|#8cd19d|Section 306 Monitoring}} {{legend|#46a0ff|Out-of-Cycle Review/Status Pending}}]]

The Special 301 Report is prepared annually by the USTR under Section 182 as amended of the [[Trade Act of 1974]]. The act states that the USTR must on an annual basis, by April of each year:
<blockquote>identify those foreign countries that deny adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights, or deny fair and equitable markets access to United States persons that rely upon intellectual property protection, and those foreign countries identified under" this "paragraph that are determined by the Trade Representative to be priority foreign countries". The Act defines "priority foreign countries" as "those foreign countries that have the most onerous or egregious acts, policies, or practices that deny adequate and effective intellectual property rights, or deny fair and equitable market access to United States persons that rely upon intellectual property protection, whose acts, policies, or practices described in" this "paragraph have the greatest adverse impact (actual or potential) on the relevant United States products, and that are not entering into good faith negotiations, or making significant progress in bilateral or multilateral negotiations to provide adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights.<ref>{{Cite book|last = Masterson|first = John T.|title = International trademarks and copyright: enforcement and management|publisher = American Bar Association|year = 2004|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=BIA9w-89SYcC|isbn = 978-1-59031-359-6}}</ref></blockquote>
The [[Uruguay Round Agreement Act]] furthermore states that countries may be identified under Special 301 "taking into account the history of intellectual property laws and practices of the foreign country, including any previous identifications" and "the history of efforts of the United States, and the response of the foreign country, to achieve adequate and effective protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights". It also states that compliance with the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights does not include a country from being identified as denying "adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights".<ref>{{Cite book|last = Masterson|first = John T.|title = International trademarks and copyright: enforcement and management|publisher = American Bar Association|year = 2004|pages = 18–19 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=BIA9w-89SYcC|isbn = 978-1-59031-359-6}}</ref>

===Notorious markets===
{{Main|Notorious markets}}
In 2006, along with the [[International Intellectual Property Alliance]], the USTR published a list of places where large-scale [[copyright infringement]] takes place in the Special 301 Report. Since 2010, the notorious markets report has been published as a separate report.<ref>{{cite web |title=USTR Releases 2021 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy |url=https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2022/february/ustr-releases-2021-review-notorious-markets-counterfeiting-and-piracy |website=United States Trade Representative |access-date=27 August 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

==List of United States trade representatives==
<small>{{legend|#E6E6AA|Denotes an ''[[acting (law)|Acting]] U.S. Trade Representative''|border=black}}{{legend|#cec1e7|Denotes ''Nominee for U.S. Trade Representative''|border=black}}</small>
{| class=wikitable
|-
!#
!Portrait
!Officeholder
!Term start
!Term end
!Days in office
! colspan="2" |President(s)
|-
| rowspan="2" |1
|rowspan=2 style="padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;" |[[File:Christian Archibald Herter (politician).jpg|75px]]
|rowspan=2 style="padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;" |[[Christian Herter]]
|rowspan=2 style="padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;" |December 10, 1962
|rowspan=2 style="padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;" |December 30, 1966
| rowspan="2" |{{ayd|1962|12|10|1966|12|30}}
| rowspan="1" {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}}
|[[John F. Kennedy]]
|-
| rowspan="2" {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}}
|rowspan=2 |[[Lyndon B. Johnson|Lyndon Johnson]]
|-
|2
|[[File:Portrait de William M. Roth.jpg|75px]]
|[[William M. Roth|William Roth]]
|March 24, 1967
|January 20, 1969
|{{ayd|1967|3|24|1969|1|20}}
|-
|3
|[[File:No image.svg|75px]]
|[[Carl J. Gilbert|Carl Gilbert]]
|August 6, 1969
|September 21, 1971
|{{ayd|1969|8|6|1971|9|21}}
| rowspan="2" {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}
|rowspan=2 |[[Richard Nixon]]
|-
|4
|[[File:No image.svg|75px]]
|[[William Denman Eberle|William Eberle]]
|November 12, 1971
|December 24, 1974
|{{ayd|1971|11|12|1974|12|24}}
|-
|5
|[[File:FrederickBailyDent.jpg|75px]]
|[[Frederick B. Dent|Frederick Dent]]
|March 26, 1975
|January 20, 1977
|{{ayd|1975|3|26|1977|1|20}}
| rowspan="1" {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}
|[[Gerald Ford]]
|-
|6
|[[File:RobertStrauss.jpg|75px]]
|[[Robert Schwarz Strauss|Robert Strauss]]
|March 30, 1977
|August 17, 1979
|{{ayd|1977|3|30|1979|8|17}}
| rowspan="2" {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}}
|rowspan=2 |[[Jimmy Carter]]
|-
|7
|[[File:ReubinAskew.JPG|75px]]
|[[Reubin Askew]]
|October 1, 1979
|December 31, 1980
|{{ayd|1979|10|1|1980|12|31}}
|-
|8
|[[File:Bill brock.jpg|75px]]
|[[Bill Brock]]
|January 23, 1981
|April 29, 1985
|{{ayd|1981|1|23|1985|4|29}}
| rowspan="2" {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}
|rowspan=2 |[[Ronald Reagan]]
|-
|9
|[[File:Clayton Keith Yeutter, 1990-04-24.jpg|75px]]
|[[Clayton Keith Yeutter|Clayton Yeutter]]
|July 1, 1985
|January 20, 1989
|{{ayd|1985|7|1|1989|1|20}}
|-
|10
|[[File:Carla A. Hills official portrait.jpg|75px]]
|[[Carla Anderson Hills|Carla Hills]]
|February 6, 1989
|January 20, 1993
|{{ayd|1989|2|6|1993|1|20}}
| rowspan="1" {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}
|[[George H. W. Bush]]
|-
|11
|[[File:MichaelKantor.jpg|75px]]
|[[Mickey Kantor]]
|January 22, 1993
|April 12, 1996
|{{ayd|1993|1|22|1996|4|12}}
| rowspan="3" {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}}
| rowspan="3" |[[Bill Clinton]]
|-
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" | —
| rowspan="2" |[[File:Charlene Barshefsky official portrait.jpg|75px]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Charlene Barshefsky]]<br>{{small|Acting: 1996–1997}}
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |April 12, 1996
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |March 18, 1997
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |{{ayd|1996|4|12|1997|3|18}}
|-
|12
|April 12, 1996
|January 20, 2001
|{{ayd|1996|4|12|2001|1|20}}
|-
|13
|[[File:Zoellick, Robert (official portrait 2008).jpg|75px]]
|[[Robert Zoellick]]
|February 7, 2001
|February 22, 2005
|{{ayd|2001|2|7|2005|2|22}}
| rowspan="4" {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}
|rowspan=4 |[[George W. Bush]]
|-
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" | —
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |[[File:Peter Allgeier (cropped).jpg|75px]]
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |[[Peter Allgeier]]<br>{{small|Acting}}
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |February 23, 2005
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |May 16, 2005
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |{{ayd|2005|2|23|2005|6|16}}
|-
|14
|[[File:Rob Portman official photo.jpg|75px]]
|[[Rob Portman]]
|May 17, 2005
|May 29, 2006
|{{ayd|2005|6|17|2006|6|29}}
|-
|15
|[[File:Susan Schwab, USTR official photo.jpg|75px]]
|[[Susan Schwab]]
|June 8, 2006
|January 20, 2009
|{{ayd|2006|7|8|2009|1|20}}
|-
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" | —
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |[[File:Peter Allgeier (cropped).jpg|75px]]
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |[[Peter Allgeier]]<br>{{small|Acting}}
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |January 21, 2009
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |March 17, 2009
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |{{ayd|2009|1|21|2009|3|17}}
| rowspan="5" {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}}
|rowspan=5 |[[Barack Obama]]
|-
|16
|[[File:Ron Kirk official portrait.jpg|75px]]
|[[Ron Kirk]]
|March 18, 2009
|March 15, 2013
|{{ayd|2009|3|18|2013|3|15}}
|-
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" | —
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |[[File:DemetriosMarantis.jpg|75px]]
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |[[Demetrios Marantis]]<br>{{small|Acting}}
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |March 15, 2013
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |May 23, 2013
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |{{ayd|2013|3|15|2013|6|23}}
|-
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" | —
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |[[File:Miriam Sapiro official portrait.jpg|75px]]
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |[[Miriam Sapiro]]<br>{{small|Acting}}
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |May 23, 2013
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |June 21, 2013
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |{{ayd|2013|6|23|2013|7|21}}
|-
|17
|[[File:Michael Froman official portrait.jpg|75px]]
|[[Michael Froman]]
|June 21, 2013
|January 20, 2017
|{{ayd|2013|6|21|2017|1|20}}
|-
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" | —
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |[[File:No image.svg|75px]]
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |[[Maria Pagan]]<br>{{small|Acting}}
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |January 20, 2017
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |March 1, 2017
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |{{ayd|2017|1|20|2017|3|1}}
| rowspan="3" {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}
|rowspan=3 |[[Donald Trump]]
|-
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" | —
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |[[File:Stephen_P._Vaughn.png|75px]]
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |[[Stephen Vaughn]]<br>{{small|Acting}}
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |March 2, 2017
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |May 15, 2017
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |{{ayd|2017|3|2|2017|5|15}}
|-
|18
|[[File:Robert E. Lighthizer official portrait (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|[[Robert Lighthizer]]
|May 15, 2017
|January 20, 2021
|{{ayd|2017|5|15|2021|1|20}}
|-
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" | —
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |[[File:No image.svg|75px]]
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |[[Maria Pagan]]<br>{{small|Acting}}
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |January 20, 2021
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |March 18, 2021
| style="background: #E6E6AA;" |{{ayd|2021|1|20|2021|3|18}}
| rowspan="2" {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}}
| rowspan="2" |[[Joe Biden]]
|-
|19
|[[File:Katherine Tai, official portrait.jpg|frameless|100x100px]]
|[[Katherine Tai]]
|March 18, 2021
|Incumbent
|{{ayd|2021|3|17}}
|}

==See also==
* [[International Trade Administration]]
* [[United States International Trade Commission]]
* [[United States Commercial Service]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.ustr.gov/ USTR website]
* [https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/trade-representative-office-of-united-states Office of the United States Trade Representative] in the [[Federal Register]]
* [https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/reports-and-publications USTR Reports and Publications].
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=nPVSgakEx5MC&pg=PA532 Google Books]

{{EOP agencies}}
{{USTR}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Office of the United States Trade Representative| ]]
[[Category:Foreign trade of the United States]]
[[Category:Anti-dumping authorities]]
[[Category:Cabinet of the United States|Trade Representative]]
[[Category:Foreign relations agencies of the United States]]
[[Category:Members of the Cabinet of the United States|Trade Representative]]
[[Category:United States trade law]]
[[Category:United States trade policy]]
[[Category:United States Trade Representatives|+]]
[[Category:United States diplomacy]]