WASHINGTON—President Trump will name retiring congressman Darrell Issa of California to be the director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.

The White House confirmed Wednesday that Mr. Issa, a Republican from California’s 49th District, will be named to the position, which is currently vacant.

The independent agency helps companies create jobs domestically through the export of U.S. goods and services for development projects in emerging economies. Mr. Issa’s appointment comes amid a push by Mr. Trump to renegotiate tougher trade deals with some of America’s biggest trade partners.

Mr. Issa has been an outspoken advocate for Mr. Trump’s hard-line trade policies—in particular, his recent crackdown on China, saying that China doesn’t protect foreign companies’ trade secrets.

In January, Mr. Issa said he planned to retire at the end of this term, joining a growing list of Republicans leaving Congress and bolstering Democratic hopes of picking up another seat in California as they work to retake control of the House.


Mr. Issa established himself in Congress as a critic of former President Barack Obama. As onetime chairman of the House Oversight Committee, he looked into a range of actions and programs of the Obama administration, such as the Internal Revenue Service’s treatment of nonprofits aligned with conservative causes.

He was facing a tough re-election battle. Mr. Issa narrowly won re-election in 2016, and his suburban San Diego district was a 2018 target for Democrats.

Mr. Issa served as an officer in the U.S. Army and is a former chairman of the Consumer Electronics Association. Before entering politics, he owned a small business that developed advanced technology solutions in manufacturing, development and global trade.