Establishment of Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy
Signed: April 29, 2017
Published: May 4, 2017
Document Number: 2017-09161
šSummary
This executive order creates a new Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy inside the White House, led by a President-selected Director and staff. Its purpose is to advise the President on policies aimed at supporting American workers and manufacturers, boosting economic growth, reducing the trade deficit, and strengthening U.S. manufacturing and defense-related industries. The office is directed to develop and promote trade policy strategies, act as a link between the White House and the Department of Commerce on trade projects, and help improve federal āBuy Americanā and hiring policies, including carrying out the earlier āBuy American and Hire Americanā order. It mainly affects White House policy operations and coordination with executive agencies, without changing existing legal authority of departments or creating enforceable rights for the public.
š¼Business Impact
This order signals a stronger White House focus on reducing the trade deficit and tightening āBuy American and Hire Americanā implementation, so manufacturers, defense/industrial-base suppliers, federal contractors, and import-reliant businesses (retailers, electronics, automotive, machinery, and their supply chains) are most affected. While it doesnāt create new legal obligations by itself, it increases the likelihood of stricter domestic-content expectations in federal procurement, more scrutiny of sourcing and hiring practices tied to government work, and potential trade actions (tariffs, quotas, enforcement) that can raise input costs or disrupt cross-border supply. Businesses should (1) map and document country-of-origin and domestic content for key products/components, (2) review federal contract clauses and readiness for Buy American compliance (and identify waiver risks/opportunities), and (3) build contingency plans for trade-policy shifts (alternate suppliers, pricing/escalation clauses, inventory buffers) while monitoring Commerce/White House procurement and trade announcements for near-term opportunities to win āMade in USAāāfavored contracts.
Full Text
Executive Order 13797 of April 29, 2017
Establishment of Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Establishment. The Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy (OTMP) is hereby established within the White House Office. The OTMP shall consist of a Director selected by the President and such staff as deemed necessary by the Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff.
Sec. 2. Mission. The mission of the OTMP is to defend and serve American workers and domestic manufacturers while advising the President on policies to increase economic growth, decrease the trade deficit, and strengthen the United States manufacturing and defense industrial bases.
Sec. 3. Responsibilities. The OTMP shall:
(a) advise the President on innovative strategies and promote trade policies consistent with the President's stated goals;
(b) serve as a liaison between the White House and the Department of Commerce and undertake trade-related special projects as requested by the President; and
(c) help improve the performance of the executive branch's domestic procurement and hiring policies, including through the implementation of the policies described in Executive Order 13788 of April 18, 2017 (Buy American and Hire American).
Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
( printed page 20822)(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
THE WHITE HOUSE,
April 29, 2017.