Executive Order 13797-Establishment of Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy

President Trump signed an executive order creating a new office within the White House called the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy. This office consists of a Director chosen by the President and additional staff. It operates as an advisory body within the White House, not as an independent federal agency.

The office's mission is to advise the President on policies aimed at helping American workers and domestic manufacturers, with goals of increasing economic growth, decreasing the trade deficit, and strengthening U.S. manufacturing and defense industries. Its specific responsibilities include developing trade policy strategies that align with the President's goals, acting as a connection point between the White House and the Department of Commerce, handling special trade-related projects assigned by the President, and helping improve how the federal government implements domestic procurement and hiring policies, including the "Buy American and Hire American" initiative from a separate executive order.

The President has constitutional authority under Article II to manage the executive branch and create advisory bodies within the White House. Whether this type of reorganization is constitutional depends on the specifics—creating White House advisory offices is generally accepted, while establishing independent agencies with regulatory power or restructuring agencies created by Congress would typically require congressional approval. This order explicitly states it must be carried out consistent with existing law and available funding, and creates no new legal rights that individuals or groups could enforce in court.

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