The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2019

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2019 33 most of which have, fortunately, faded with time. But we can no longer afford to let bureaucratic rivalries, personal egos or arcane debates about whether particular issues are “economic” or “commercial” get in the way. Any U.S. ambassador should expect—and both State and Commerce officers should deliver— a coordinated position on issues of commercial importance. We see some very encouraging signs of Com- merce/State cooperation. In 76 countries repre- senting 90 percent of U.S. export markets FCS and State economic officers are collaborating closely to tackle market barriers and unfair trade practices, and protect U.S. investment interests. It is espe- cially encouraging to see numerous examples of Commerce/State cooperation overseas on emerg- ing issues such as digital trade, standards and regulations, intellectual property rights, financing infrastructure and combating corruption. In the past, such issues might have been fertile ground for bureaucratic rivalry. In another 60 countries where there are no FCS officers, a formal Partner Post program gives State economic officers full responsibility for all commercial and business support work, in coordination with Commerce’s domestic network of 106 U.S. Export Assistance Centers and nearby FCS posts. Further, State has opened its innovative Business Facilitation Incentive Fund, a program that offers incen- tives for State/Commerce cooperation in the field in the form of small grants to posts to fund creative initiatives in support of U.S. exporters. A very promising recent initiative is State/Commerce coop- eration on the annual Benjamin Joy Award. As President George Washington’s first American consul and commercial agent in India, the award’s namesake, Benjamin Joy, was an early exemplar of U.S. commercial and economic diplomacy. Commerce and State have jointly established and funded the competitive award, fully sharing the nomination, selection and ceremonial functions. The first two annual winners—teams of FSOs from State and Commerce, as well as Locally Employed staff, at Embassy Addis Ababa and Embassy Vientiane—have been inspiring examples of cooperation to directly benefit U.S. business, especially small and medium-sized businesses. Another great example of Commerce/State cooperation is the annual “SelectUSA” Investment Summit, designed to attract inward foreign direct investment (FDI) into the United States, bringing technology, capital and good jobs to local communities around America. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, like his predecessors, hosted the fifth summit of this Commerce-led program, which has contributed to $44 billion in investment into the country over the last six years. State has pitched in fully in recent years to promote the event, help Com- merce strategize on foreign business and government leaders to invite, and fund participation of U.S. ambassadors in key markets to personally escort select foreign delegations. And like Secretary John Kerry before him, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was an enthusiastic and supportive speaker at this year’s summit. Of course, a bread-and-butter element of any effective com- mercial/economic diplomacy is high-level advocacy—both project advocacy and, increasingly, policy advocacy. Here again, interagency cooperation is critical, both in the field and in Wash- ington. Commerce’s Advocacy Center has continued to grow A FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITY UNCLASSIFIED Date: Nov 07, 2018 From: SECSTATE WASHDC Action: ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS COLLECTIVE Subject: Boosting Commercial Diplomacy around the World 1. Summary: The purpose of this message, written in collaboration with the Commerce Department, is to strengthen our collective work in commercial diplomacy by clarifying the roles, initiatives, and tools of the State and Commerce Departments in advancing American busi- ness interests overseas. … State and Commerce collaboration is key to U.S. company success overseas and to supporting jobs here at home. There is so much that we do – and can expand on – together, and we hope this cable helps strengthen our ability as a country to support U.S. business interests. End summary. 2. Secretary Pompeo has made helping American companies a foreign policy priority. Commercial diplomacy helps create jobs and prosper- ity at home and advances the economic prosperity goals in the Presi- dent’s National Security Strategy. Promoting broad-based, responsible, and sustainable economic growth helps to stabilize regions and cre- ates new and growing markets for U.S. companies. A transparent and level playing field for U.S. investment in these countries counters real and growing challenges such as China’s Belt and Road initiative. 3. We ask that you engage proactively not only at the transactional, but also at the transformational level. Doing so will advance key for- eign policy goals, such as a stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, our priorities at the Summit of the Americas, Iraqi reconstruction, our commercial and security interests in Europe, and prosperity and stability in Africa. In advancing commercial interests, we also advance broader economic priorities, such as fighting corruption, pursuing greater aviation options for U.S. consumers, and supporting conflict- free diamonds. Every office in EB and many offices throughout the Department contribute to our commercial diplomacy. … –Excerpted from the U.S. State Department cable 18 STATE 112364, E.O. 13526.