The interagency Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee was set up over 20 years ago to coordinate federal efforts to promote exports, but the committee neither reports nor compiles information on how federal export promotion resources align with government-wide priorities, GAO has said in calling for better information on export promotion expenditures.
In 2010, the President launched the National Export Initiative, or NEI, with the goal of doubling exports over five years. However, while the TPCC’s National Export Strategy reports issued since initiation of the NEI outline government-wide priorities and progress in achieving them, they do not discuss how resources are allocated in support of these priorities, according to GAO-13-644.
It said the TPCC last compiled high-level data on member agencies’ budget authority in 2011, but this information is not useful for assessing resource allocations.
As a result, decision makers lack a clear understanding of the total resources dedicated across the country and around the world by TPCC member agencies to priority areas, such as increasing exports by small- and medium-sized businesses, GAO said.
The TPCC agreed to develop and distribute guidance for member agencies on what information they should provide the TPCC on the resources they spend on export promotion activities, as well as to report in its National Export Strategies on how resources are allocated by agency and aligned with the strategy’s priorities.
