Office of Consumer Goods

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Office of Consumer Goods

About the OCG

The Office of Consumer Goods (OCG) undertakes a broad range of trade policy, trade promotion, and trade facilitation activities geared to increasing the competitiveness of the U.S. consumer goods industries, focusing on processed foods, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and recreational transportation (pleasure boats, motorcycles, recreation vehicles, all-terrain vehicles). 

Other industries we work with include home appliances, home furnishings, gems and jewelry, lawn and garden equipment, sporting goods, toys and games, and miscellaneous manufacturing.  OCG undertakes industry analysis, participates in trade policy development and trade negotiations, conducts extensive trade promotion programs abroad, and evaluates the impact of domestic and international regulatory policies on the U.S. consumer goods industries. 

OCG works with other Department of Commerce units and other U.S. agencies to address international market access challenges encountered by U.S. exporters.  A key to the successful efforts of OCG and other I&A offices is our strong working relationships with industry trade associations and individual companies within the building products, chemicals, and metals industries. Please contact us regarding any competitiveness issues your company or trade association may have. 

What We Do:

• Serve as ITA lead for two public-private export expansion partnerships under the Department's Market Development Cooperator Program.
• Serve as ITA lead for an Industry Trade Advisory Committee, to ensure U.S. industry's voice is included in trade policy development for a wide variety of consumer goods industries.
• Serve as ITA lead for U.S. government-led wine regulatory project in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC).
• Serve as ITA lead for U.S. government-led food safety project under the Food Safety Cooperation Forum of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC).
• Represent ITA in numerous U.S. government interagency working groups geared to advancing the competitiveness of OCG industries.
• Work closely with ITA's office of Trade Promotion Programs on many International Buyer Program events, attracting foreign buyers to leading U.S. consumer goods trade shows, including the following:
• Miami International Boat Show
• International Toy Fair in New York City
• Fancy Foods Show (Winter) in New York City
• Recreation Vehicle Industry Association Trade Show
• ExpoWest Trade Show (nutritional Supplements)
• Develop and recommend U.S. policy positions for multilateral and bilateral discussions related to the U.S. consumer goods industries.
• Provide information, trade data, and industry analysis to the U.S. business community, policymakers, and trade negotiators.
• Provide export assistance, including advocacy and business counseling, to help U.S. consumer goods exporters penetrate new international markets, increase export market share, and resolve specific market access and development challenges.

Public-Private Partnerships – Market Development Cooperator Program
An MDCP award establishes a partnership between ITA and non-profit industry groups such as trade associations and chambers of commerce, which are particularly effective in reaching small- and medium-size businesses. The non-profit groups compete for a limited number of MDCP awards by proposing innovative projects that generate exports that create or sustain U.S. jobs. OMI staff serve as ITA lead for the following MDCP partnerships:

• Recreation Vehicle Industry Association – MDCP partnership with RVIA focused on three markets:  China, Japan, and Korea.
• California Asian-Pacific Chamber of Commerce – MDCP partnership with CAPCCC focused on growing California processed foods exports to China.
  

Advisory Committee:
ITA and USTR regularly seek the input of Industry Trade Advisory Committees (ITAC) to enhance the competitiveness of U.S. industries. OMI currently serves as ITA lead for the ITAC on Consumer Goods (ITAC 4)
Committee members are senior executives representing a broad cross-section of an industry and serve two-year terms. The ITACs, which fall under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), are charged with providing consensus industry advice to the Secretary of Commerce on ways to enhance U.S. industry competitiveness. To learn more about the ITAC system and how your organization may become involved, click here.