PRESIDENTIAL TRADE COMMISSION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87T00759R000200220035-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 3, 2010
• Sequence Number: 35
• Publication Date: November 4, 1985
• Content Type: MEMO

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0 W
WASHINGTON
November 4, 1985
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
SUBJECT: Presidential Trade Commission
The Economic Policy Council has been exploring the idea of
establishing a bipartisan Presidential commission on trade and
international economics. Such a commission, if properly
constituted, might be very helpful in developing a national
consensus on trade and international economic policies and
strengthening your position of opening foreign markets, not
closing ours. The House Republicans have included a proposal to
establish such a commission in their trade initiative package.
This memorandum outlines for you the major issues involved in
creating such a commission, including whether members of Congress
should be members of the commission, and offer several options
for your consideration.
The Economic Policy Council unanimously recommends establishing
such a commission.
POLICY OBJECTIVES
The decision whether to establish a commission and how it might
be structured should reflect the following objectives.
o A commission should help build a broad consensus in both the
private sector and the Congress on future U.S. trade and
international economic policy.
o A commission should generate new ideas for improving the
effectiveness of U.S. trade and international economic policy.
o A commission should help develop support in the Congress for
supporting free and fair trade legislation and resisting
protectionist legislation.
ESTABLISHING A COMMISSION
Issue: Should the Administration establish a presidential
commission on international trade and economics?
Option 1: Establish a commission.
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Advantages
o A commission could take a relatively objective view of
trade policy and develop valuable ideas for improving
the effectiveness of U.S. trade policy.
o Because a commission analyzing trade issues over a long
period of time would probably arrive at the same
conclusions drawn by the Administration, such a
commission could help buttress the Administration's
position on trade legislative proposals.
o A bipartisan commission could help generate greater
support in the private sector and the Congress for the
Administration's trade policy, for example, the efforts
to launch a new multilateral trade round.
Option 2: Not establish a commission.
Advantage
o A commission could make recommendations that conflict
with Administration policy and increase or revive
protectionist pressures.
PROPOSED STRUCTURE OF THE COMMISSION
If you decide to establish a commission, it could be structured
along the following lines:
The Economic Policy Council recommends that the commission be
titled: The President's Commission on International Trade and
Economic Policies
2. Mandate
The mandate of the commission could be either general or
specific. A general mandate would provide the commission the
flexibility to adapt to changing conditions that could take
place over the life of the commission. A specific mandate
could focus the efforts of the commission on issues where new
analysis would be most useful.
The Economic Policy Council recommends the following, general
mandate:
o To identify the major trends and changes which are taking
place in the international economy.
o To assess the adequacy of U.S. trade laws in responding to
the major trends taking place in the international economy
and recommend changes, if any, to the U.S. trade laws.
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IV
o To assess the efficacy of the GATT in meeting U.S. interests
and in promoting a free and fair world trading system, and
to evaluate the scope and coverage of the GATT and its
flexibility in adapting to the dynamics of world trade.
o To determine what can be done to ensure that U.S. economic
policies, both domestic and international, as well as U.S.
efforts in international fora, contribute as much as
possible to growth and price stability in the U.S. and world
economies.
o To identify the displacements which are likely to occur
within the U.S. economy in response to international trading
trends and to make recommendations for policies to
facilitate adjustment.
3. Timing
The timing of the final report of the commission should
(1) provide the commission sufficient time to analyze
carefully complex issues and (2) avoid plunging the commission
or its recommendations into the 1986 Congressional elections.
The Economic Polic Council recommends that you direct the
commission to issue a final re ort twelve months after its
establishment. December 1986 is an achievable deadline.
4. Method of Establishing Commission
The Economic Polic Council recommends that you establish the
commission throug an executive order. The executive order
would specify the commission's mandate, the date by which it
should issue a final report, its membership, its staffing, its
source of funding, and how it will report its recommendations.
5. Membership
The Economic Policy Council recommends that the commission
include (15 or 21) private sector members from the following
groups: management (high technology, services, basic
manufacturing), labor, agriculture, consumers, and the
academic community.
Issue: Should the commission include members of Congress in
addition to the private sector members?
pt Include six members of-Congress (three
Republicans an three Democrats on the
commission.
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 DECISIONS
Issue 1: Should the Administration establish a presidential
commission on international trade and economics?
Establish a commission.
Not establish a commission.
The Economic Policy Council unanimously recommends
establishing such a commission.
Issue 2: Should the commission include members of Congress?
Include six members of Congress (three Republicans
and three Democrats) as members of the commission.
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Include six members of Congress as advisors to the
commission.
Not include members of Congress as members of the
commission, but consult with the Congress on the
membership.
James A. Baker III
Chairman Pro Tempore
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