Authorities and Functions
The International Trade Administration’s Global Markets (GM)
Quick Overview and Legal Authorities
Global Markets (GM) and its U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service trace their origin to the early 1900s, and the eventual official transfer of the State Department’s trade promotion and commercial operations and activities, when, in 1980 along with the establishment of the International Trade Administration (ITA), the Foreign Commercial Service was moved from the State Department to the Department of Commerce.
In 1981, the name of the Foreign Commercial Service was changed to the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service (U.S.&FCS) in order to highlight the connection between domestic and overseas operations with a unified purpose.
In 2013, ITA underwent a major internal consolidation and merged the U.S.&FCS with its Market Access and Compliance unit, creating the current organization – Global Markets and, within it, the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service.
Mission: GM’s statutory mission is to “place primary emphasis on the promotion of exports of goods and services from the United States, particularly by small businesses and medium-sized businesses, and on the protection of United States business interests abroad…” – 15 U.S.C. §4721
Also under GM are the Advocacy Center, SelectUSA, and Trade Policy Coordinating Committee (TPCC).
- Advocacy Center: Created in 1993, the Advocacy Center marshals U.S. Government resources and authority in order to level the playing field on behalf of U.S. business interests as they compete against foreign firms for international contracts. The goal of U.S. Commercial Advocacy is to help American companies win foreign contracts that secure and grow U.S. exports and jobs. In 2012, Executive Order 13630 reaffirmed the central role of the Advocacy Center and established an Interagency Task Force on Commercial Advocacy, chaired by the Secretary of Commerce.
- SelectUSA: Created in 2011, Executive Order 13577 established the SelectUSA Initiative in the Department of Commerce. SelectUSA attracts, promotes, and retains business investment in the United States, while directing federal investment resources. It also hosts the SelectUSA Investment Summit, which is the highest-profile event in the United States to facilitate business investment by connecting thousands of investors, companies, economic development organizations, and industry experts.
- TPCC: Established by Congress in 1992, the TPCC provides a unifying framework to coordinate U.S. agencies’ export promotion and export financing activities, in addition to developing a government-wide strategic plan to carry out those activities. The TPCC is chaired by the Secretary of Commerce. – 15 U.S.C. §4727
Authorities and Functions of the International Trade Administration (ITA)
The major authorities and functions of the Secretary of Commerce exercised through the International Trade Administration (“ITA”) fall into five general categories: (1) trade promotion, international competitiveness, and commercial representation abroad; (2) trade policy development and negotiation and implementation of trade agreements; (3) administration of trade remedy laws and imposition of trade sanctions; (4) negotiation of other international agreements; and (5) investment promotion and other investment matters. Certain functions within these categories — investment monitoring and statistical analysis, for example — are exercised in part by other Commerce entities, usually in consultation with ITA.