USTR Hit by Federal Government Shutdown

Until Jan. 14, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative was able to use funding that had already been appropriated to keep all of its 265 staff paid, but the agency now has gone into furlough mode. Just 74 of the staff will continue working without pay, as excepted workers, the new way to refer to what used to be called essential workers. USTR said in a brief notice that those staffers will continue to conduct trade negotiations and enforcement. There has been no announcement of when negotiations with Japan on a new trade agreement might begin.