Delegation of Certain Authorities and Assignment of Certain Functions Under the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015

This executive order delegates presidential authorities and assigns functions under the 2015 Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) law to specific officials, primarily the U.S. Trade Representative, while reserving certain authorities to the President. It establishes interagency processes for environmental reviews, employment impact assessments, labor rights reports, and implementation planning for trade agreements.

Federal Register Open PDF 80 FR 43903

Impact dates

Date TBD
Federal Register publication of redelegations or further assignments

Key directives

Delegate title I authorities to USTR except specified reserved presidential authorities
Assign consultative mechanism functions to Secretary of State with multi-agency consultation
Assign environmental review functions to USTR through Trade Policy Staff Committee
Assign employment impact reviews to Secretary of Labor through Trade Policy Staff Committee
Assign labor rights reports to Secretary of Labor with USTR reporting function
Assign implementation and enforcement planning to OMB Director with multi-agency advice
Assign capacity building reporting to USTR
Require Federal Register publication of any redelegations

Timeline

Immediate

Delegation of authorities to USTR and other officials takes effect
Interagency consultative mechanisms for trade negotiations established

Near term (90d)

Federal Register publication of any redelegations
Initial implementation of environmental and labor review processes

Long term

Ongoing trade agreement negotiations under delegated authorities
Periodic reporting on capacity building, environmental, employment, and labor impacts

Risks & tensions

Multiple agencies with overlapping roles in trade reviews may create coordination challenges
Preservation of certain authorities to President (section 102(c)(1), 103(a)(1)(A), etc.) creates tension with delegated framework
Vague 'as appropriate' language for additional agency heads in consultative mechanisms
Subject to appropriations availability may limit implementation