Trade and Investment
Other Government Entities Involved
in Trade Capacity Building
Other Federal agencies, such as the Department of Agriculture
(USDA) and the Trade and Development Agency (TDA), also fund
trade capacity building projects themselves or implement trade
capacity building projects funded by USAID through interagency
grants and agreements. USAID must coordinate its trade capacity
building efforts with other Federal agencies responsible for
advancing a range of other U.S. trade objectives. For example,
the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) negotiates
trade agreements and represents the United States in international
trade organizations. The Departments of Agriculture, Commerce
and State and the Small Business Administration support U.S.
private sector efforts to expand exports and create export-related
jobs. Regulatory agencies like the Food and Drug Administration
and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) enforce health, safety and other requirements for
products offered for sale in the U.S. market.
U.S. Government organizations involved in trade capacity
building:
The
Office
of the U.S. Trade Representative is responsible
for negotiating trade agreements and developing trade policies
which promote world economic growth and create new opportunities
for American businesses, workers, and agricultural producers.
The USTR plays a key role in capacity building related to
WTO Accession and Participation, as well as in particular
WTO Agreements and in Regional Trade Agreements that facilitate
U.S. trade.
The
Department
of State's Trade Policy and Programs Division works
to promote U.S. business and agricultural producer interests,
to expand world trade, to expand the scope of multilateral
trade agreements, and enforce rules to eliminate foreign
trade barriers. The TPP Division plays a key role capacity
building related to the WTO, Regional Trade Agreements,
Trade Facilitation, Trade-related Agricultural Development,
and Technical Barriers to Trade.
The
Department of Agriculture (USDA) has several agencies
and offices engaged in technical assistance and capacity
building related to trade, including the:
The
Trade
& Development Agency (TDA) advances economic development
and U.S. commercial interests in developing and middle income
countries. The agency funds various forms of technical assistance,
feasibility studies, training, orientation visits and business
workshops that support the development of a modern infrastructure
and a fair and open trading environment. TDA plays a key
role in many trade-related areas, including Physical Infrastructure
Development, Services Trade Development, and Trade Facilitation.
The
U.S.
International Trade Commission is an independent,
nonpartisan, quasi-judicial federal agency that provides trade
expertise to both the legislative and executive branches of
government, determines the impact of imports on U.S. industries,
and directs actions against certain unfair trade practices,
such as patent, trademark, and copyright infringement.
The Department of Commerce has several agencies
and offices engaged in technical assistance and capacity
building related to trade, including the:
- Commercial
Law Development Program (CLDP) provides training and
consultative services to lawmakers, regulators, judges,
lawyers and educators seeking assistance in the evaluation,
revision and implementation of evolving legal systems.
CLDP plays a key role in Governance/Transparency, Inter-agency
Coordination, Financial Sector Development, and WTO Accession
and Agreements;
- International
Trade Administration (ITA), which has four units -
The Commercial Service, Trade Development, Market Access
and Compliance, and Import Administration;
- Trade
Compliance Center which helps American exporters overcome
foreign trade barriers and works to ensure that foreign
countries comply with their commitments to the United
States;
- Patent
& Trademark Office (USPTO) which provides technical
assistance in the area of intellectual property rights,
supporting TCB in the WTO Agreement on TRIPS; and,
- National
Institute of Standards & Technolgy which provides
technical assistance in the area of the WTO Agreement
on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT).
U.S.
Government Trade Agreements and Initiatives
Trade and Related Agreements (TARA) Database
[http://www.tcc.mac.doc.gov/]
Africa Growth and Opportunity Act
[http://www.agoa.gov]
NAFTA Secretariat
[http://www.nafta-sec-alena.org]
FTAA Secretariat
[http://www.ftaa-alca.org]
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