United States Trade Representative

The USTR is a cabinet-level official with the rank of Ambassador who
advises the President on trade policy. The USTR coordinates the
development of U.S. trade policy initiatives; leads U.S. international
trade negotiations; and seeks to expand U.S. exports by promoting removal
or reduction of foreign trade barriers.

The Office of the USTR was created as the Office of the Special
Representative for Trade Negotiations by Executive Order (11075) in January
1963. The Trade Act of 1974 established the Office as an agency of the
Executive Office of the President, charged with administering the trade
agreements program under the Tariff Act of 1930, the Trade Expansion Act of
1962, and the Trade Act of 1974. Other powers and responsibilities for
coordinating trade policy were assigned to the Office by the Trade Act of
1974 and by the President by Executive Order in March 1975, as amended.
Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1979 (implemented by Executive Order in
January 1980), charged the Office with responsibility for setting and
administering overall trade policy and identified the USTR as the chief
representative of the U.S. for all activities of the General Agreement on
Tariffs and Trade, for negotiation on trade and commodity issues in the
Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, for negotiations in
the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and for trade and
commodity negotiations in other multilateral institutions and in other
bilateral and multilateral negotiations concerning trade as a primary
issue.