(1) set strategic priorities for the efficient use 
of programs to provide trade capacity building as-
sistance; 
(2) build self-sustaining institutional capacity in 
developing countries for expanding international 
trade to accelerate inclusive, broad-based economic 
growth, poverty reduction, and development, con-
sistent with international obligations and commit-
ments; and 
(3) further the national interests of the United 
States by— 
(A) expanding prosperity through the 
elimination of barriers to trade and investment 
in developing countries; 
(B) assisting developing country trading 
partners to identify and reduce barriers to the 
movement of goods in international commerce 
and to investment; 
(C) assisting developing country trading 
partners in undertaking reforms that will en-
courage economic growth and development; and 
(D) supporting businesses in developing 
countries to engage in reform efforts to increase 
trade and investment, and integrate into global 
supply chains. 
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SEC. 5. COORDINATION AND SUPERVISION OF PROGRAMS 
TO PROVIDE TRADE CAPACITY BUILDING AS-
SISTANCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, the Secretary of State, in consultation with 
the Administrator of the United States Agency for Inter-
national Development and the United States Trade Rep-
resentative, shall— 
(1) have primary responsibility for overseeing 
and carrying out programs to provide trade capacity 
building assistance; 
(2) give priority to programs to provide such 
assistance for any developing country that— 
(A) has demonstrated progress in, and a 
commitment to, implementing the commitments 
under the World Trade Organization’s Trade 
Facilitation Agreement, including the establish-
ment and maintenance of a national committee 
on trade facilitation and other relevant trade 
obligations and commitments, taking into ac-
counts the country’s capacity building assist-
ance needs; 
(B) has demonstrated consistent support 
for economic policies that promote the develop-
ment of private enterprise; 
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(C) has expressed an interest in entering 
into a free trade agreement with the United 
States; 
(D) is designated by the President— 
(i) as an eligible sub-Saharan African 
country under the African Growth and Op-
portunity Act (19 U.S.C. 3703); or 
(ii) as a beneficiary developing coun-
try under section 502 or 506A of the 
Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2462 or 
2466a); or 
(E) has the potential to benefit the private 
sector and United States economy if such as-
sistance is provided to the developing country; 
and 
(3) ensure that programs to provide trade ca-
pacity building assistance by relevant executive 
branch agencies are coordinate and not duplicated. 
(b) INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE ON TRADE CAPACITY 
BUILDING.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 60 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Presi-
dent shall establish an interagency task force to im-
prove the effectiveness and efficiency of programs to 
provide trade capacity building assistance. 
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(2) CHAIRPERSON; VICE
CHAIRPERSON.—The 
Secretary of State, or the Secretary’s designee, shall 
serve as chairperson of the interagency task force. 
The Administrator of the United States Agency for 
International Development, or the Administrator’s 
designee, and the United States Trade Representa-
tive, or the Trade Representative’s designee, and 
shall serve as vice chairpersons of the interagency 
task force. 
(3) MEMBERSHIP.—The President shall appoint 
to the interagency task force senior officials of— 
(A) the Department of Commerce; 
(B) the Department of Agriculture; 
(C) the Department of the Treasury; 
(D) the Department of Homeland Security, 
including at least one such senior official of 
U.S. Customs and Border Protection; 
(E) the Millennium Challenge Corporation; 
(F) the United States Trade and Develop-
ment Agency; and 
(G) other relevant executive branch agen-
cies. 
(4) BUDGET
REVIEW
AND
RECOMMENDATION 
AUTHORITY.—The interagency task force, in coordi-
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nation with the Director of the Office of Manage-
ment and Budget, shall— 
(A) review the expenditures of each of rel-
evant executive branch agency with respect to 
programs to provide trade capacity building as-
sistance; and 
(B) report and make recommendations to 
the President on appropriate budget allocations 
to each such relevant executive branch agency 
with respect to programs to provide trade ca-
pacity building assistance. 
(5) JOINT STRATEGIC PLAN.—The interagency 
task force, in consultation with relevant chiefs of 
mission and representatives of the private sector, 
shall develop a biennial joint strategic plan for pro-
grams to provide trade capacity building assistance 
that establishes detailed and clear objectives, com-
mon metrics, and specific goals for the efficient de-
livery of such assistance, including— 
(A) improving the effectiveness and effi-
ciency of such assistance by improving coordi-
nation among— 
(i) relevant executive branch agencies, 
including diplomatic missions of the United 
States; and 
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(ii) international trade capacity build-
ing and technical assistance donors, includ-
ing efforts to promote the best use of re-
sources and avoid duplication, to share 
best practices, and to pursue regional solu-
tions and common approaches, as appro-
priate; 
(B) improving consultation with the pri-
vate sector to incorporate its operational exper-
tise and experience with respect to the full 
range of trade barriers in developing countries 
and setting priorities and target particular bar-
riers for reform; 
(C) identifying and addressing structural 
weaknesses, systemic flaws, or other impedi-
ments to the effectiveness of such assistance 
across the relevant executive branch agencies 
with actionable recommendations to address 
such weaknesses, flaws, or other impediments; 
(D) setting priorities for such assistance to 
focus resources on developing countries in 
which such assistance can deliver the best value 
in identifying and eliminating barriers to trade 
and investment in such developing countries, in-
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cluding by fostering adherence to international 
trade obligations; 
(E) developing appropriate performance 
measures and establishing yearly targets to 
monitor and assess progress toward such tar-
gets, including measures to terminate unsuc-
cessful programs; and 
(F) providing estimates of the resources 
necessary to fulfill the priorities identified by 
the interagency committee. 
(6) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, and biennially 
thereafter until the termination of the interagency 
task force under subsection (d), the task force shall 
submit to the President and the appropriate con-
gressional committees a report that contains— 
(A) the joint strategic plan required under 
paragraph (5); and 
(B) as appropriate, recommendations for 
changes to programs to provide trade capacity 
building assistance, including with respect to 
priorities for funding of such assistance. 
(c) CONSISTENCY WITH OTHER TRADE OBLIGA-
TIONS.—The interagency task force shall ensure that the 
joint strategic plan required under subsection (b)(5) is 
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consistent with the international trade obligations of the 
United States. 
(d) TERMINATION.—The President may terminate 
the interagency task force shall after the submission of 
the second report required under subsection (b)(6). 
SEC. 6. MISSION RESPONSIBILITIES. 
Section 207 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 
U.S.C. 3927) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(d) TRADE CAPACITY BUILDING ASSISTANCE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each chief of mission to a 
developing country shall, working with the private 
sector and government of such country, as appro-
priate— 
‘‘(A) identify local country barriers to 
international trade and investment; 
‘‘(B) advise the Secretary of State on the 
best use of trade capacity building assistance in 
such country; and 
‘‘(C) coordinate and supervise programs to 
provide trade capacity building assistance by 
relevant executive branch agencies present in 
such country (except for assistance under the 
control of a United States area military com-
mander). 
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‘‘(2) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection, the 
terms ‘trade capacity building assistance’ and ‘rel-
evant executive branch agencies’ have the meaning 
given such terms in section 3 of the Aid for Trade 
Act of 2019.’’. 
SEC. 7. LIMITATIONS AND CONFORMING MEASURES. 
(a) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—This Act, and the 
amendments made by this Act, shall be implemented in 
a manner consistent with the duties and responsibilities 
of the Office of the United States Trade Representative 
as the agency with primary responsibility for developing, 
and for coordinating the implementation of, United States 
international trade policy under section 141 of the Trade 
Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2171). 
(b) EXCEPTION, QUALIFICATION.—Section 660(b) of 
the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2420(b)) 
is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the 
end; 
(2) by moving the margin of paragraph (7) two 
ems to the left; 
(3) in paragraph (7), as so amended, by strik-
ing the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(4) by inserting after paragraph (7), as so 
amended, the following new paragraph: 
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‘‘(8) with respect to programs to provide trade 
capacity building assistance (as such term is defined 
in section 3 of the Aid for Trade Act of 2019), in-
cluding training and technical assistance, provided 
to customs and transportation authorities and per-
sonnel in developing countries.’’. 
SEC. 8. REPORT BY THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE 
UNITED STATES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years and 4 
years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to 
the appropriate committees a report on programs to pro-
vide trade capacity building assistance. 
(b) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The report re-
quired under subsection (a) shall include the following: 
(1) A review of the implementation of the joint 
strategic plan required under section 5(b)(5). 
(2) A description of interagency efforts to im-
prove coordination and effectiveness of programs to 
provide trade capacity building assistance, including 
collaboration with the private sector, sharing of best 
practices, the development of common performance 
metrics, and efforts to reduce duplication. 
(3) What is known about the impact of trade 
capacity assistance in supporting developing coun-
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tries’ efforts to implement the World Trade Organi-
zation’s Trade Facilitation Agreement and advance 
the policy described in section 4. 
(4) What is known about progress made in 
working with donor countries to coordinate trade ca-
pacity building donor activities to ensure the effec-
tiveness and reduce duplication of trade capacity 
building assistance activities. 
(5) Recommendations to improve programs to 
provide trade capacity building assistance. 
Æ 
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