The assistant secretary managed a budget of $61 million in fiscal 2016 and oversaw 244 employees.3
• Directs the activities of Industry Analysis
• Carries out programs to strengthen U.S. industry competitiveness through analysis of export and investment opportunities; assessment of the impact of government actions on industry; advocating for industries; and developing strategies to address systemic challenges to expanding exports and promoting investment opportunities
• Develops market intelligence and data analysis to expand export opportunities, which is often disseminated via Global Markets’ relationships with businesses at the U.S. Export Assistance Center and through the Foreign Commercial Service
• Partners with the U.S. Trade Representative, the White House and other economic agencies to provide economic data, trade data analysis, and sophisticated analysis of imports and exports at national, state, and local levels
• Represents commercial interests in U.S. trade negotiations and oversees formulation and implementation of policies governing relevant areas
• Develops and implements sector-specific export promotion strategies and programs to identify and address sector-specific trade barriers
• Establishes partnerships to promote exports, in partnership with the Global Markets division of ITA
• Administers certain trade arrangements
• Oversees chairmanship of the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements and administration of textile provisions of trade agreements and legislated trade preference programs, along with the North American Free Trade Agreement and other free trade secretariats
• Coordinates Commerce participation on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., and federal implementation of national travel and tourism (T&T) policy
• Oversees implementation of the national T&T strategy
• Administers the advisory committees program on trade policy; export expansion; manufacturing competitiveness and T&T; the market development cooperator program and mandated grants; and parts of the Travel Promotion Act of 2009 and Export Trading Company Act of 19824