Executive Order 13786: Omnibus Report on Significant Trade Deficits
President: Donald J. Trump
Directed Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative to report on significant 2016 goods trade deficits.
Status: Completed/expired. Is Executive Order 13786 still in effect? No. Executive Order 13786 is completed or expired. See Federal Register record.
What does Executive Order 13786 do?
EO 13786 required the Commerce secretary and the U.S. Trade Representative to prepare an omnibus report for the President within 90 days. They were to identify trading partners with which the United States had a significant goods trade deficit in 2016 and assess the causes for each. The requested analysis covered tariffs, non-tariff barriers, subsidies, intellectual property and labor issues where relevant, as well as effects on manufacturing, employment, wages and national security. This was an information-gathering order: it did not impose a tariff or determine that a named trading partner violated trade law.
Before and after
Before the order
Trade statistics and other assessments existed, but the order requested a new, partner-by-partner report about significant 2016 goods deficits and specified topics to examine.
After the order
Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative were authorized to seek public input. Commerce held a public hearing and received comments in preparation for the report. The cited hearing does not by itself verify when a completed report was delivered to the President.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Commerce secretary and U.S. Trade Representative | Prepare and submit a report identifying significant 2016 goods-deficit partners and assessing causes and effects | Within 90 days of March 31, 2017 |
| Consulted departments | Provide relevant trade, economic and security expertise | During preparation |
| Commerce and USTR | May hold meetings and seek public comment | At their discretion |
What happened next
EO 13786 signed.
Order published at 82 FR 16721.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The order required analysis and reporting; it did not create a tariff, sanction or trade-law violation. Any later policy action would need its own authority and record.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on October 1, 2026. How we research →