The purpose of the article is to analyze the role of the federal and state level institutions in shaping and implementing American trade policy, as well as to verify the assumptions of the National Export Initiative implemented in 2010 by the Barack Obama administration which intended to activate state level institutions in the area of trade. The goal of the article is to answer two basic research questions: What is the role of the federal and state level institutions in shaping and implementing trade policy in the United States? Has the role of the state level increased in the decision-making process and the implementation of trade policy after the adoption of the National Export Initiative in 2010? Answers to the above questions will allow verification of the adopted hypothesis, which indicates that, despite its assumptions, the National Export Initiative has not increased the role of the state level institutions in shaping and implementing trade policy. To conduct a reliable analysis, the following article structure was adopted. The first part presents the general methodological and analytical assumption. The second discusses the institutional and legal framework that shapes the distribution of competences in the US system, paying particular attention to trade policy issues. Part three analyzes the state level activities in a practical dimension after the adoption of the National Export Initiative. The summary of the article will contain conclusions in the form of answers to the questions posed, which will allow to verify the hypothesis.