To have an impact on government trade actions, getting a seat at the table is the first step.

At the G-20 Summit last month in Toronto, world leaders reaffirmed their commitment to combat protectionism and promote trade worldwide. In the Summit Declaration, the countries agreed to "refrain from raising barriers or imposing new barriers to investment or trade in goods and services, imposing new export restrictions and commit to rectify such measures as they arise."

This declaration, like preceding declarations that have vowed to tame market barriers, will be met with either a cautious optimism that barriers to market access will come tumbling down or a knowing realism that it takes more than political statements to bring down barriers.

But U.S. companies can impact U.S. trade policy through the federal trade advisory committee system, which provides companies with a means to influence the targeting of barriers in specific markets. The U.S. Trade Representative's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs & Engagement leads the system, in cooperation with other federal agencies.

The system was created to ensure the USTR concentrates on matters important to U.S. industry and to keep industry abreast of negotiations. After a trade agreement has been negotiated, advisory committees report their views on the pending agreement to the president, Congress and the USTR.

Although the advisory committee system has detractors and imperfections, membership on a committee provides a company facing market barriers an avenue to be heard by the federal government.

The advisory committee system has a total of 28 committees divided in three tiers. U.S. companies can influence policy at each level.

The first tier is the President's Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations, which is directly administered by the USTR and historically provides the president with advice on overall trade policy.

The second tier advises on six specific policy areas. The USTR and the co-administering agency manage the application process for each committee. Those committees are:

  • The Trade Advisory Committee on Africa. TACA provides the USTR with policy advice on issues involving trade and development in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2006, TACA was re-chartered to advance the goals and objectives of the African Growth and Opportunity Act. But TACA's purpose is broader than AGOA and includes a focus on development, intra-African trade issues, trade preferences reform, capacity building and issues that inhibit the growth of African economies, such as corruption.
  • The Intergovernmental Policy Advisory Committee. As trade liberalization has shifted from tariffs at the border to non-tariff barriers, communication between the federal government and state and local governments has increased in importance. IGPAC members represent general state and local interests rather than specific state interests and obligations under trade agreements.
  • The Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee. TEPAC is jointly administered by the USTR, the Environmental Protection Agency and the EPA's Office of International Affairs. TEPAC provides advice to the USTR on policy issues involving trade and the environment, including trade agreements related to climate change, clean energy and illegal logging.
  • The Labor Advisory Committee. The joint responsibility of the Department of Labor and USTR, LAC advises the secretary of labor and the USTR on issues and general policy matters concerning labor and trade negotiations, existing trade agreements and other trade policy issues.
  • The Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee. APAC advises the secretary of agriculture and the USTR on trade policy related to agriculture.

The third tier of the advisory committee system is co-administered by the USDA, which supports the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committees, and the Commerce Department, which supports the Industry Trade Advisory Committees.

The ATACs focus on trade policy related to U.S. agricultural interests in six commodity groups: animals and animal products; fruits and vegetables; grains, feed and oilseeds; sweeteners and sweetener products; tobacco, cotton, peanuts and planting seeds; and processed foods.

The 16 ITACs have a highly technical focus and range from those on manufactured goods and other products (aerospace equipment, forest products) to services and broader research and development concerns (distribution services and intellectual property rights).

Each ITAC is run by a committee chair and a department federal officer, who together work on shared priorities of the ITAC committees. The Committee of Chairs consists of each ITAC chairperson. Members of the Committee of Chairs, representing their own viewpoints and the views of each ITAC, advise the USTR and Commerce on issues of shared interest among the ITACs.

The ATAC and ITAC membership process is fairly simple. The recruiting period for the ATACs is publicized through a Federal Register notice. For the ITACs, recruiting is ongoing and members are appointed on a rolling basis. The USTR and co-administering agencies can provide additional information for those interested in pursuing membership on any of the 28 advisory committees.

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