U.S. Trade Representative history

Executive Order 11075 of January 15, 1963, placed the Special Representative in the Executive Office of the President.

As part of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 United StatesC.A. § 2171), Congress established the office as a cabinet-level agency within the Executive Office of the President and gave it other powers and responsibilities for coordinating trade policy.

3 of 1979 changed the Special Representative’s title to United States Trade Representative and charged the Office of the Trade Representative with responsibility for setting and administering overall trade policy.

In 1980 the Office of the Special Trade Representative was renamed the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). USTR refers both to the agency and to the agency's head, the United States trade representative.

The Trade and Tariff Act of 1984 gave USTR the further responsibility of developing and coordinating implementation of United States policies concerning trade in services.

Section 1601 of the 1988 legislation codified and expanded USTR's responsibilities.

1999) established an Office of the Special Representative for Trade Negotiations in the Executive Office of the President.

The Trade and Development Act of 2000 created two new posts in USTR Chief Agricultural Negotiator and Assistant United States Trade Representative for African Affairs.

In 2003 the USTR released its 2003 Inventory of Trade Barriers, an annual report that documents foreign trade barriers to United States exports and gives examples that show the elimination or reduction of such barriers.