Cabinet office for trade sought by White House

President Reagan wants to consolidate US trade policy functions into a new Cabinet-level Department of Trade, the White House said. A spokesman said the President had accepted the idea in principle. Trade functions are now split between the Commerce Department's International Trade Administration, which enforces UStrade laws, and the Trade Office, which takes the lead in international trade negotiations. Friction between the two staffs has reportedly complicated White House efforts to present a cohesive trade policy.