Trade, tariffs and industry

Executive Order 13439: Establishing an Interagency Working Group on Import Safety

President: George W. Bush

Created an interagency working group to recommend improvements in import safety.

Status: In effect. Is Executive Order 13439 still in effect? Yes. Executive Order 13439 remains in effect. See Federal Register record.

What does Executive Order 13439 do?

The working group presented its Action Plan for Import Safety on November 6, 2007, with 14 broad recommendations and 50 action steps.

Administration position: Recommendations were a plan, not self-executing product bans or new statutory inspection authority.
SignedJuly 18, 2007
Original directionCreated an interagency working group to recommend improvements in import safety.
Later evidenceThe working group presented its Action Plan for Import Safety on November 6, 2007, with 14 broad recommendations and 50 action steps.
Review dateSeptember 26, 2026

Before and after

Before the order

Multiple agencies inspected or regulated different imported products.

After the order

The working group presented its Action Plan for Import Safety on November 6, 2007, with 14 broad recommendations and 50 action steps.

Recommendations were a plan, not self-executing product bans or new statutory inspection authority.

Who had to do what

Source: Signed Federal Register text.
Agency / officeActionTiming / position
Secretary of Health and Human Services, as Working Group ChairEstablish the group; convene meetings, set its agenda, direct its work, designate an Executive Secretary, and provide lawful administrative support and funding. May create member-only subgroups or extend the recommendation deadline; terminate the group after consulting the Economic Policy Assistant when its work is complete.Recommendations within 60 days of July 18, 2007 unless the Chair extends the deadline; termination after completion.
Interagency Working Group on Import SafetyAssess overseas inspection and certification, identify importer best practices, and survey government import-safety authorities and practices; recommend steps to the President through the Economic Policy Assistant. May take other appropriate import-safety actions.Within 60 days of July 18, 2007 unless extended by the Chair.
Working Group Executive SecretaryHead staff assigned to the Working Group and its subgroups.Following designation by the HHS Secretary; no fixed deadline.
Secretary of StateServe on the Working Group, personally or through an eligible designee, participating in its collective review and recommendations; the order assigns no separate agency implementation plan.Group recommendations within 60 days unless the Chair extends the deadline.
Secretary of the TreasuryServe on the Working Group, personally or through an eligible designee, participating in its collective review and recommendations; the order assigns no separate agency implementation plan.Group recommendations within 60 days unless the Chair extends the deadline.
Attorney GeneralServe on the Working Group, personally or through an eligible designee, participating in its collective review and recommendations; the order assigns no separate agency implementation plan.Group recommendations within 60 days unless the Chair extends the deadline.
Secretary of AgricultureServe on the Working Group, personally or through an eligible designee, participating in its collective review and recommendations; the order assigns no separate agency implementation plan.Group recommendations within 60 days unless the Chair extends the deadline.
Secretary of CommerceServe on the Working Group, personally or through an eligible designee, participating in its collective review and recommendations; the order assigns no separate agency implementation plan.Group recommendations within 60 days unless the Chair extends the deadline.
Secretary of TransportationServe on the Working Group, personally or through an eligible designee, participating in its collective review and recommendations; the order assigns no separate agency implementation plan.Group recommendations within 60 days unless the Chair extends the deadline.
Secretary of Homeland SecurityServe on the Working Group, personally or through an eligible designee, participating in its collective review and recommendations; the order assigns no separate agency implementation plan.Group recommendations within 60 days unless the Chair extends the deadline.
Director of the Office of Management and BudgetServe on the Working Group, personally or through an eligible designee, participating in its collective review and recommendations; the order assigns no separate agency implementation plan.Group recommendations within 60 days unless the Chair extends the deadline.
United States Trade RepresentativeServe on the Working Group, personally or through an eligible designee, participating in its collective review and recommendations; the order assigns no separate agency implementation plan.Group recommendations within 60 days unless the Chair extends the deadline.
Administrator of the Environmental Protection AgencyServe on the Working Group, personally or through an eligible designee, participating in its collective review and recommendations; the order assigns no separate agency implementation plan.Group recommendations within 60 days unless the Chair extends the deadline.
Chairman of the Consumer Product Safety CommissionServe on the Working Group, personally or through an eligible designee, participating in its collective review and recommendations; the order assigns no separate agency implementation plan.Group recommendations within 60 days unless the Chair extends the deadline.
Assistant to the President for Economic PolicyServe as the channel for the group’s recommendations to the President and the Chair’s consultation partner before termination.Recommendations within 60 days unless extended; consultation before termination.
Later actionThe working group presented its Action Plan for Import Safety on November 6, 2007, with 14 broad recommendations and 50 action steps.November 6, 2007

What happened next

EO 13439 signed.

The working group presented its Action Plan for Import Safety on November 6, 2007, with 14 broad recommendations and 50 action steps.