Promoting International Regulatory Cooperation

This executive order directs federal agencies to coordinate international regulatory cooperation through an existing interagency working group, with the goal of reducing unnecessary differences between U.S. and foreign regulations that could harm American business competitiveness. It requires agencies to flag regulations with significant international impacts and consider foreign regulatory approaches when developing rules.

Federal Register Open PDF 77 FR 26413

Impact dates

Date TBD
Working Group to develop and issue guidelines on applicability and implementation of sections 2-4

Key directives

Regulatory Working Group to serve as forum for coordinating U.S. positions on international regulatory cooperation
Working Group to develop and issue guidelines on applicability and implementation of sections 2-4
Agencies to include international regulatory cooperation activities in Regulatory Plans
Agencies to designate significant regulations with international impacts in Unified Agenda, RegInfo.gov, and Regulations.gov
Agencies to consider reforms to existing regulations addressing unnecessary differences with major trading partners in retrospective reviews
Agencies to consider foreign regulatory approaches for significant regulations with international impacts when feasible and consistent with law

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

OIRA Administrator convenes Regulatory Working Group
agencies begin including international regulatory cooperation activities in Regulatory Plans

Near term (90d)

Working Group develops and issues guidelines on applicability and implementation of sections 2-4

Long term

ongoing retrospective review of regulations for unnecessary international differences
integration of foreign regulatory approaches into significant rulemaking

Risks & tensions

No explicit deadline for guidelines—vague timing creates implementation uncertainty
Consensus-based Working Group operation may slow decision-making
Requirement to consider foreign approaches could create tension with domestic regulatory autonomy
Exclusion of independent regulatory agencies weakens coverage
Extensive carve-outs in Section 6 limit scope, particularly for trade policy and financial regulation