International Trade Administration Export Promotion Activities

GAO discussed its reviews of the International Trade Administration's (ITA) export promotion activities. GAO noted that United States Foreign and Commercial Service (USFCS) funding limitations have resulted in: (1) a decline in the number of USFCS officers at overseas posts and a decrease in district office staffs; (2) cutbacks in program activities; and (3) long delays in the implementation of a trade information database. GAO also noted that: (1) Japan had almost four times as much export promotion staff in the United States as USFCS had in Japan; (2) ITA efforts to manage trade events were hampered by a lack of coordination between USFCS and other ITA units, poor event selection and marketing, and a lack of accountability; and (3) ITA efforts to implement the Commercial Information Management System were hampered by hardware, software, and design deficiencies, and a lack of adequate field staff.