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Office of the United States Trade Representative
US-TradeRepresentative-Seal.svg
Seal of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
Flag of the United States Trade Representative.svg
Flag of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
Agency overview
Formed 1962
Preceding agency
  • Office of the Special Trade Representative
Headquarters Winder Building 600 17th St. NW Washington, D.C.
Employees 200
Annual budget $73 million (FY 2021)
Agency executive
Parent agency Executive Office of the President

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is a special agency that works for the U.S. government. Its main job is to create and promote trade policies for the United States with other countries.

USTR is part of the Executive Office of the President. It is led by the United States Trade Representative. This person is a top advisor to the U.S. President on all things related to trade. They also act as the main negotiator and spokesperson for the U.S. on trade issues. USTR has over 200 employees. They have offices in Geneva, Switzerland, and Brussels, Belgium.

USTR was first created in 1962. It was called the Office of the Special Trade Representative (STR) back then. This agency leads trade talks with other countries, both one-on-one and in larger groups. It also works with other government agencies to make sure trade policies are clear. USTR helps with things like foreign investments and protecting new ideas (intellectual property). They also help solve trade disagreements, especially at the World Trade Organization. The current United States Trade Representative is Katherine Tai.

What USTR Does

Leading the Office

The person in charge of USTR is called the United States Trade Representative (USTR). This is a very important job, almost like being in the President's main team, the Cabinet. However, it's not technically a Cabinet department.

To get this job, the President chooses someone. Then, the Senate must approve that person with a simple vote. The United States Trade Representative and their deputies are given the special title of ambassador.

Many people have held this important role. For example, Michael Froman was the U.S. Trade Representative from 2013 to 2017. Robert Lighthizer served during the presidency of Donald Trump. Katherine Tai has been serving during the presidency of Joe Biden.

Working with the World Trade Organization

The USTR plays a big part in the World Trade Organization (WTO). The WTO is a global group that sets rules for trade between countries. USTR's Office of WTO and Multilateral Affairs helps manage this work. They deal with agreements like the one about protecting intellectual property rights.

How USTR Started

Trade talks became much more complex in the 1900s. This was because of new global groups and faster ways to do business. The U.S. government needed a better way to handle trade. In 1962, Congress passed a law. It said the President should appoint a Special Representative for Trade Negotiations. This person would advise the President on trade.

In the 1970s, Congress gave this position more power. They made it a Cabinet-level job. Finally, in 1980, the position was renamed the United States Trade Representative. In 1988, a new law made the USTR's role even bigger. It said the USTR should lead trade policy, advise the President, and be the main spokesperson for U.S. trade talks. The USTR also had to report to both the President and Congress.

Areas USTR Works On

USTR works on many different trade topics. Here are some of them:

  • Agriculture (farming products)
  • Economy and trade rules
  • Making sure trade rules are followed
  • Environmental issues related to trade
  • Government buying and selling
  • Industry and manufacturing
  • Protecting new ideas (intellectual property)
  • Labor (worker rights)
  • Special trade programs
  • Services and investments
  • Helping small businesses
  • Textiles and clothing
  • Trade and development for other countries
  • Working with trade groups like the World Trade Organization (WTO), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Important Reports

The National Trade Estimate

The National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers is a report USTR puts out every year. It talks about big problems that stop U.S. products from being sold in other countries. Since 1986, this report has also tried to show how much these problems affect U.S. exports. It also shares what actions are being taken to fix these issues.

The Special 301 Report

Annual Special 301 Report countries
     Priority Foreign Country      Priority Watch List      Watch List      Section 306 Monitoring      Out-of-Cycle Review/Status Pending

The Special 301 Report is another yearly report from USTR. It identifies countries that do not properly protect intellectual property rights. This means they might not stop people from copying inventions, music, or movies without permission. The report also looks at countries that make it hard for U.S. companies to use their intellectual property fairly.

The report names "priority foreign countries." These are countries with the biggest problems in protecting intellectual property. They also have the largest negative impact on U.S. products. The report also checks if these countries are trying to fix the problems.

Notorious Markets

Since 2010, USTR has published a separate report called "Notorious Markets." This report lists places, often online, where a lot of copyright infringement happens. This means people are illegally copying and sharing things like movies, music, or software.

List of United States Trade Representatives

     Denotes an acting U.S. trade representative

# Portrait Name Term Start Term End Duration President(s)
1 Christian Archibald Herter (politician).jpg Herter, ChristianChristian Herter December 10, 1962 December 30, 1966 4 years, 20 days Kennedy, John F.John F. Kennedy
(1961–1963)
Johnson, LyndonLyndon Johnson
(1963–1969)
2 Portrait de William M. Roth.jpg Roth, WilliamWilliam Roth March 24, 1967 January 20, 1969 1 year, 302 days
3 No image.svg Gilbert, CarlCarl Gilbert August 6, 1969 September 21, 1971 2 years, 46 days Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon
(1969–1974)
4 No image.svg Eberle, WilliamWilliam Eberle November 12, 1971 December 24, 1974 3 years, 42 days
5 FrederickBailyDent.jpg Dent, FrederickFrederick Dent March 26, 1975 January 20, 1977 1 year, 300 days Ford, GeraldGerald Ford
(1974–1977)
6 RobertStrauss.jpg Strauss, RobertRobert Strauss March 30, 1977 August 17, 1979 2 years, 140 days Carter, JimmyJimmy Carter
(1977–1981)
7 ReubinAskew.JPG Askew, ReubinReubin Askew October 1, 1979 December 31, 1980 1 year, 91 days
8 Bill brock.jpg Brock, BillBill Brock January 23, 1981 April 29, 1985 4 years, 96 days Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan
(1981–1989)
9 Clayton Keith Yeutter, 1990-04-24.jpg Yeutter, ClaytonClayton Yeutter July 1, 1985 January 20, 1989 3 years, 203 days
10 Carla A. Hills official portrait.jpg Hills, CarlaCarla Hills February 6, 1989 January 20, 1993 3 years, 349 days Bush, George H. W.George H. W. Bush
(1989–1993)
11 MichaelKantor.jpg Kantor, MickeyMickey Kantor January 22, 1993 April 12, 1996 3 years, 81 days Clinton, BillBill Clinton
(1993–2001)
Charlene Barshefsky official portrait.jpg Barshefsky, CharleneCharlene Barshefsky April 12, 1996 March 18, 1997 4 years, 283 days
12 March 18, 1997 January 20, 2001
13 Zoellick, Robert (official portrait 2008).jpg Zoellick, RobertRobert Zoellick February 7, 2001 February 22, 2005 4 years, 15 days Bush, George W.George W. Bush
(2001–2009)
Peter Allgeier (cropped).jpg Allgeier, PeterPeter Allgeier
Acting
February 23, 2005 May 16, 2005 113 days
14 Rob Portman official photo.jpg Portman, RobRob Portman May 17, 2005 May 29, 2006 1 year, 12 days
15 Susan Schwab, USTR official photo.jpg Schwab, SusanSusan Schwab June 8, 2006 January 20, 2009 2 years, 196 days
Peter Allgeier (cropped).jpg Allgeier, PeterPeter Allgeier
Acting
January 21, 2009 March 17, 2009 55 days Obama, BarackBarack Obama
(2009–2017)
16 Ron Kirk official portrait.jpg Kirk, RonRon Kirk March 18, 2009 March 15, 2013 3 years, 362 days
DemetriosMarantis.jpg Marantis, DemetriosDemetrios Marantis
Acting
March 15, 2013 May 23, 2013 100 days
Miriam Sapiro official portrait.jpg Sapiro, MiriamMiriam Sapiro
Acting
May 23, 2013 June 21, 2013 28 days
17 Michael Froman official portrait.jpg Froman, MichaelMichael Froman June 21, 2013 January 20, 2017 3 years, 213 days
María L. Pagán, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative (cropped).jpg Pagan, MariaMaria Pagan
Acting
January 20, 2017 March 1, 2017 40 days Trump, DonaldDonald Trump
(2017–2021)
Stephen P. Vaughn.png Vaughn, StephenStephen Vaughn
Acting
March 2, 2017 May 15, 2017 74 days
18 Robert E. Lighthizer official portrait (cropped).jpg Lighthizer, RobertRobert Lighthizer May 15, 2017 January 20, 2021 3 years, 250 days
María L. Pagán, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative (cropped).jpg Pagan, MariaMaria Pagan
Acting
January 20, 2021 March 18, 2021 57 days Biden, JoeJoe Biden
(2021–2025)
19 Katherine Tai, official portrait.jpg Tai, KatherineKatherine Tai March 18, 2021 January 20, 2025 3 years, 308 days
No image.svg Millán, JuanJuan Millán
Acting
January 20, 2025 February 27, 2025 38 days Trump, DonaldDonald Trump
(2025–present)
20 Official portrait of U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.jpg Greer, JamiesonJamieson Greer February 27, 2025 Incumbent 148 days

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Oficina del Representante Comercial de los Estados Unidos para niños

  • International Trade Administration
  • United States International Trade Commission
  • United States Commercial Service
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