Government Reorganization: Observations About Creating a U.S. Trade
Administration (Testimony, 09/06/95, GAO/T-GGD-95-234).

GAO discussed proposed legislation to merge the Office of the U.S. Trade
Representative (USTR) with several Department of Commerce offices and
the U.S. Trade and Development Agency and to create a U.S. Trade
Administration (USTA). GAO noted that: (1) creating a trade
administration that lacks cabinet-level department status could lead to
the perception that the new agency does not have the status of either
USTR or the Department of Commerce; (2) the proposed legislation would
combine the trade functions of only three U.S. government agencies and
does not address opportunities for consolidating the functions of other
U.S. government agencies that carry out significant trade
responsibilities; (3) the proposed legislation appears to eliminate the
U.S. Commercial Service's domestic network thus eliminating the link
between U.S. businesses and commercial offices overseas; and (4) the
placement of the Bureau of Export Administration in the new entity would
diminish the office's status relative to the Departments of Defense and
State for purposes of interagency coordination of export control issues.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  T-GGD-95-234
     TITLE:  Government Reorganization: Observations About Creating a 
             U.S. Trade Administration
      DATE:  09/06/95
   SUBJECT:  Trade policies
             Exporting
             International trade
             Trade regulation
             Interagency relations
             Data collection operations
             Sales promotion
             International economic relations
             Proposed legislation
IDENTIFIER:  North American Free Trade Agreement
             NAFTA
             Trade Reorganization Act of 1995
             Dept. of Commerce Dismantling Act
             
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