Establishment of the Interagency Trade Enforcement Center

This executive order creates the Interagency Trade Enforcement Center (ITEC) within the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to coordinate enforcement of U.S. trade rights under international agreements and domestic trade laws across multiple federal agencies. The Center brings together personnel from State, Treasury, Justice, Agriculture, Commerce, Homeland Security, and intelligence agencies to identify foreign trade barriers and unfair practices.

Federal Register Open PDF 77 FR 12981

Key directives

Establish Interagency Trade Enforcement Center within USTR
Designate Center Director as full-time senior USTR official reporting to USTR
Designate Deputy Director as full-time senior Commerce official detailed to Center
Designate Intelligence Community Liaison recommended by DNI
Coordinate enforcement of U.S. trade rights and domestic trade laws across enumerated agencies
Consult with Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator on IP-related enforcement
Encourage agencies to detail/assign employees to Center without reimbursement
Conduct outreach to workers, businesses, and interested persons

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

Center established within USTR upon signing
Director and Deputy Director positions created
Agency coordination structure activated

Near term (90d)

Agency personnel detailing to Center expected to begin
Intelligence Community Liaison designated
Outreach to businesses and workers initiated

Long term

Ongoing coordination of trade enforcement actions
Information exchange protocols with Intelligence Community operationalized
Potential expansion to additional designated agencies

Risks & tensions

Effectiveness contingent on voluntary agency cooperation and 'availability of appropriations'—no dedicated funding mandate
Personnel detailing 'without reimbursement' may create resource tensions between agencies
Intelligence Community involvement in trade enforcement raises potential classification/sharing boundary issues
Vague 'to the extent permitted by law' language creates implementation uncertainty
No enforcement mechanism if agencies decline to participate fully