As the Obama Administration continues to make government more transparent and open to the American public, USTR is pleased to release its Open Government Plan today - part of President Obama's Open Government initiative. USTR's Open Government Plan highlights ways that USTR is continuing to work to make trade policy and data more transparent, while expanding opportunities for citizen participation, collaboration, and oversight.
Included in the plan are:
USTR's Flagship Initiative - the new Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Free Trade Agreement negotiations. This new initiative presents an excellent opportunity to engage more robustly and in new ways with the American public to gain input as the Administration crafts its trade policy.
New Media Website. www.ustr.gov is an interactive website, less than one year old, that allows USTR to create and maintain an open dialogue on trade policy.
Trade Agreements in Plain English and Tariff Schedules. USTR is working on a pilot project to post "plain English" summaries of Free Trade Agreements in an open government format along with the associated country tariff schedules as datasets.
Special 301. USTR held a new public hearing on the Special 301 review, opening the floor to more than two dozen individuals representing foreign governments, non-profit organizations, and industry groups. Full audio from the hearing was posted on www.ustr.gov.
Freedom of Information Act. USTR will begin publishing each incoming FOIA request and its response. Additionally, USTR will publish past FOIAs and associated responses, beginning with those of likely greatest interest to the public.
USTR is working to create robust trade policy that works for American workers and families, and the areas highlighted in the Open Government plan provide additional ways for the public to become involved in USTR activities. You can read the full plan here.
The Open Government Plan is part of the Open Government Directive issued by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget on December 8, 2009. In pursuant to this Directive, USTR has also launched USTR.gov/open on February 9, allowing for the American public to ask USTR questions, to review Annual Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reports, and to contact USTR officials.
