The President announced the creation of an administration Trade Strike Force designed to uncover unfair trading practices used against the United States and to develop strategies to counter and eliminate them. It will identify barriers to U.S. exports, as well as unfair export subsidies. The Strike Force will be chaired by Commerce Secretary Malcolm Baldrige. Other members will be the Secretaries of the Treasury, State, Transportation, Agriculture, and the United States Trade Representative.
The Strike Force was first mentioned in the President's trade speech delivered on September 23 to members of the President's Export Council, select Members of Congress, and invited business leaders in the East Room of the White House. The President said at that time: "I will not stand by and watch American businesses fail because of unfair trading practices abroad. I will not stand by and watch American workers lose their jobs because other nations do not play by the rules."
The Strike Force will report its findings to the President through his Economic Policy Council, along with a recommended plan of action, on a regular basis. The appropriate executive branch agencies will then be responsible for execution of the plan. Working groups chaired by Commerce Under Secretary for International Trade Administration Bruce Smart will be established under the Strike Force.
Note: Larry M. Speakes, Principal Deputy Press Secretary to the President, read the announcement to reporters in the Briefing Room at the White House during his daily press briefing, which began at 12:02 p.m.
Ronald Reagan, Announcement of the Establishment of the Trade Strike Force Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/258644
