During the Biden transition, the incoming administration made no signals towards filling the office, which has remained vacant as of the start of the Biden administration. It is presumed inactive.
Mission and responsibilities
Full quotation of Sec. 2 (mission)
"The mission of the OTMP is to defend and serve American workers and domestic manufacturers while advising the President on policies to increase economic growth, decrease the trade deficit, and strengthen the United States manufacturing and defense industrial bases."
and of Sec. 3 (Responsibilities):
"The OTMP shall:
(a) advise the President on innovative strategies and promote trade policies consistent with the President's stated goals;
(b) serve as a liaison between the White House and the Department of Commerce and undertake trade-related special projects as requested by the President; and
(c) help improve the performance of the executive branch's domestic procurement and hiring policies, including through the implementation of the policies described in Executive Order 13788 of April 18, 2017 (Buy American and Hire American)."
In May 2019, the OTMP published a report analyzing the potential economic impact of the United States Reciprocal Trade Act, a bill proposed in January 2019 that would enable the President to impose reciprocal tariffs on trade partners who do not lower corresponding tariffs or non-tariff barriers.[5] The bill never advanced beyond Committee.
Manufacturing
In August 2020, the OTMP released a report giving an update on the status of the federal government's usage of the DPA. The report identified 78 instances of actions undertaken by the Trump administration to combat certain equipment shortages.[6] This report faced criticism as later analysis showed several cited instances in the report were either executive orders unrelated to the production of medical equipment or Defense Department expenditures that did not directly address the nation's supply shortages, with some examples dating as far back as 2017.[7] With Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown labeling the report as “propaganda” and a “political stunt”.[8]
In early October 2020, the OTMP released a report purportedly detailing the progress of the Trump administration's "Buy American, Hire American" policies as outlined in Executive Order 13788. The report covered five key areas: Buying American Procurement, Hiring American Labor, Trade Policy and Tariffs, Defense Budget and Policies, and utilization of the Jones Act.[9]
Job creation
By late October 2020, the OTMP released a series of seven reports under the banner "All Job Creation is Local", each report focused on a different State: Maine,[10] Michigan,[11] Minnesota,[12] Pennsylvania,[13] Wisconsin,[14] North Carolina,[15] and Florida.[16] Each highlighted federal actions that could translate into job creation across various key sectors for the respective economies of each State. However, The Daily Beast noted these reports focused entirely on what were considered swing states in the upcoming 2020 United States presidential election and were viewed as an attempt to "sell the case for the president’s reelection".[17]
National security
In July 2017, President Trump signed Executive Order 13806, on Assessing and Strengthening the Manufacturing and Defense Industrial Base and Supply Chain Resiliency of the United States, initiated by the OTMP, which directed the Department of Defense to lead a whole of government assessment of the health of the manufacturing and defense industrial base of the United States. The report was published in October, 2018.[18][19]
In June 2018, the OTMP released a report outlining how China's policies threaten the economic and national security of the United States.[20]
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