What does the Office of the US Trade Representative do?

Updates published annually

The Office of The United States Trade Representative (USTR) is a subdivision of the Executive Office of the President responsible for developing and coordinating US international trade, commodity, and direct investment policy, and overseeing negotiations with other countries. The agency works to create trade opportunities for American businesses and workers, enforce US trade laws, and ensure that trade agreements are fair and beneficial to the US economy. It was established in 1963.

In FY 2024,

$121M

was spent by the Office of the US Trade Representative

In FY 2024,

12.0%

of Executive Office of the President spending was by the Office of the US Trade Representative

How much does the Office of The United States Trade Representative spend?

The Office of the US Trade Representative spent a net total of $120.5 million in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 12% of the $1 billion spent by the Executive Office of the President, which itself was 0.015% of all federal spending. The USTR ranked second among EOP subdivisions in net spending.

Net spending is the difference between agency spending and any financial accounts generating funds from the agency’s own activities, like fees or rent. When these funds offset all spending, net spending appears negative. Some agencies tend to operate with positive net spending while others will register negative net spending sometimes or often.

The Office of the US Trade Representative ranked second among Executive Office of the President divisions in net spending in 2024.

EOP net spending by division, FY 2024

Like the overall federal budget, agency spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Office of the US Trade Representative’s federal spending has increased from $22.1 million in 1980 to $120.5 million in 2024.

The Office of the US Trade Representative’s federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 1980.

Yearly federal net spending by USTR, adjusted for inflation (2024 dollars), FYs 1980–2024

Since 1980, the Office of the US Trade Representative's spending has increased 444.3%, while overall spending has increased 193.7%.

As a percentage of the overall federal budget, a positive number means agency net spending made up some positive share of total federal spending; a negative number means that net generated funds offset a portion of total spending. USTR spending grew more than overall federal spending since 1980, which means that its share of the federal budget increased. In 2024, USTR accounted for 0.0018% of overall federal spending.

Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The Office of the US Trade Representative’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 1980.

Net spending by USTR as a share of federal spending, FYs 1980–2024

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.

In FY 2024, all of the Office of the US Trade Representative's spending was direct.

The chart below outlines all net USTR spending.

How did the Office of the US Trade Representative spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to USTR, FY 2024

How many people work for the Office of The United States Trade Representative?

Some 250 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the Office of the US Trade Representative as of September 2024. This is 7.8% more people than the division staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the Office of the US Trade Representative has increased 7.8% since 2010.

Number of federal employees working for USTR, September 2010–2024

The Office of the US Trade Representative accounts for 0.011% of the overall federal workforce. As the number of federal employees has changed, so too has the way the workforce is organized, with resources allocated to agencies depending on government priorities. The division constituted a similar share of the overall federal workforce in September 2024 compared to 2010 (0.011%).

While the number of employees on an agency’s payroll contributes to that agency’s expenditures, some agencies have relatively few employees compared to their budget or vice versa, giving them an outsized share of either the budget or the workforce. According to the most recent data, the Office of the US Trade Representative's share of the workforce (0.011%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.0018%).

Who leads the Office of The United States Trade Representative?

The USTR is led by the United States Trade Representative. This individual is nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. The United States Trade Representative reports directly to the President and is responsible for developing and coordinating U.S. international trade, commodity, and direct investment policy, and overseeing negotiations with other countries. There is no fixed term for this position.

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.

Office of Personnel Management
FedScope
Office of Management and Budget and US Department of the Treasury
Budget of the US Government and Monthly Treasury Statement