Trade, tariffs and industry

Executive Order 12870: Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee

President: Bill Clinton

Established the interagency Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee to coordinate export assistance and produce a government-wide strategy; Commerce continues to operate the committee.

Status: In effect as amended.

Is Executive Order 12870 still in effect? Yes. Continuing statutory committee framework, amended after creation of DHS.

What does Executive Order 12870 do?

EO 12870 established the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee, chaired by the Commerce Secretary, under the Export Enhancement Act of 1992. The committee coordinates federal export-promotion and financing programs, provides a central information framework, reduces duplication, assesses resources and develops a government-wide strategic plan. EO 13284 added the Department of Homeland Security in 2003. Commerce’s current TPCC page continues to describe the committee and its National Export Strategy role.

Administration position: The order said interagency coordination could improve export services and reduce duplication. That was the administration’s organizational premise, not a finding about the results of any particular export program.
SignedSeptember 30, 1993
ChairSecretary of Commerce
Core productGovernment-wide export-promotion strategic plan

Before and after

Before the order

Congress authorized a coordinating committee in the Export Enhancement Act of 1992.

After the order

EO 12870 supplied the executive membership and operating structure used for coordination and national export strategies.

Who had to do what

Agency / officeActionTiming / position
TPCCCoordinate export promotion and financing programsOngoing
Commerce SecretaryChair the committee and report its strategic planUnder the statutory cycle
Member agenciesShare program and resource information and reduce duplicationThrough committee work

What happened next

EO 12870 established the TPCC structure.

EO 13284 added the Department of Homeland Security.

Commerce continued to publish a current TPCC program page.