Table 1
Departments and agencies with foreign economic policy bureaus
Department of Agriculture
Office of Energy Policy
Global Change Program Office
World Agricultural Outlook Board
Department of Commerce
Bureau of Economic Analysis
Economic Development Administration
International Trade Commission
Technology Administration
Department of Energy
Energy Advisory Board
Office of Nuclear Energy Technology
Policy and International Affairs Office
Department of Justice
Drug Enforcement Administration
Environment and Natural Resources
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Foreign Claims Settlement Commission
Immigration and Naturalization Service
Department of State
Economic and Business Affairs
Educational and Cultural Affairs
International Narcotics and Enforcement
Population, Refugees, and Migration
Trafficking in Persons
Western Hemisphere Affairs
Department of the Treasury
Bureau of the Public Debt
Financial Management Service
Internal Revenue Service
Bureau of the U.S. Customs Service
Office of Economic Policy
Office of International Affairs
Other Agencies
National Security Council
National Economic Council
Office of Science and Technology
Policy
USTR
Council of Economic Advisers
U.S. Export-Import Bank
Federal Reserve System
Overseas Private Investment Corporation
Trade and Development Agency
Environmental Protection Agency
Agency for International Development
Source: Dolan (2002)
Table 2
Typical position of selected US bureaucratic agencies towards trade policy
Department of State
Supports trade liberalisation and usually refrains from imposing sanctions on strategic partners that are important for the US international security strategy, such as Japan and China. It considers that trade policy must reinforce US foreign policy strategy.
Department of Treasury
Supports trade liberalisation and gives particular attention to the interest rates of the international economy; major objective is to keep an environment favourable to private investment and to the value of the US dollar
Department of Commerce
Supports trade liberalisation and the expansion of US exports in an aggressive manner, if necessary, in order to open markets; responsible for the application of some of the US trade remedies.
United States Trade Representative (USTR)
Supports the promotion of fair and free trade; seeks access to foreign markets for US businesses and protection of industries from ‘unfair’ practices. Historically, it has also played the role of honest broker.
National Economic Council (NEC)
Favourable to the trade preferences of the president, which are usually biased towards liberalisation (liberal presidency thesis [1]). Assertiveness depends on the participation of the president and the members indicated to run the Council
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Supports fair trade; faces a split between import-sensitive (e.g. sugar and peanut) and export-oriented (e.g. soybeans, corn and wheat) producers. With a relevant share of its constituency being politically powerful import-sensitive producers, constant side payments are due in order to pursue further trade liberalisation.
Department of Labor
Supports fair trade; has recently supported the inclusion of strong labour clauses in trade agreements; in spite of being wary of trade liberalisation, has not opposed big agreements such as NAFTA.
[1] According to the liberal presidency thesis (Karol 2000), usually the President’s preferences do not change in response to their party affiliation. It means that both Republican and Democrats presidents are in general in favour of trade liberalisation. Source: Based on Destler (1996; 2005), Cohen, Paul and Blecker (2003), and Cohen (2000)