Barter and countertrade

The President shall establish an interagency group on countertrade, to be composed of representatives of such departments and agencies of the United States as the President considers appropriate. The Secretary of Commerce shall be the chairman of the interagency group. It shall be the function of the interagency group to— review and evaluate— Other departments and agencies of the United States shall provide to the interagency group such information available to such departments and agencies as the interagency group may request, except that the requirements, including penalties for violation thereof, for preserving the confidentiality of such information which are applicable to the officials, employees, experts, or consultants of such departments and agencies shall apply in the same manner to each member of the interagency group and to any other person performing any function under this subsection. There is established, within the International Trade Administration of the Department of Commerce, the Office of Barter (hereafter in this section referred to as the “Office”). There shall be at the head of the Office a Director, who shall be appointed by the Secretary of Commerce. The Secretary of Commerce shall transfer such staff to the Office as the Secretary determines is necessary to enable the Office to carry out its functions under this section. It shall be the function of the Office to—