U.S. International Trade CommissionU.S. International Trade CommissionUSITC_575c8f0d-0ab8-43f0-826b-fddbf43ceca3The role of international trade in the U.S. economy has expanded and, thus, the work of the Commission has had a broader impact on many aspects of the U.S. economy. In light of this expanded role, the Commission recognizes the importance of striving for excellence in all aspects of its mission. It is dedicated to objectivity, timeliness, and continual improvement in support of its customers. As an independent, quasi-judicial federal agency, the Commission is uniquely placed to administer important U.S. trade laws in a fair and impartial manner. The Commission is committed to the objective administration of the laws under its authority and is dedicated to improving the clarity and analytical and legal excellence of its decisions. Likewise, the Commission’s independent structure places it in a position to provide objective analysis and information to the President, USTR, Congress, and the general public. The Commission is committed to serving as the key federal resource for analysis of international trade matters through its industry, economic, nomenclature, and regional expertise. The Commission anticipates that the need for this expertise will expand; thus, it envisions enhancing its ability to assess a wide range of emerging trade issues._77ca0e94-a8f3-4d2f-b53d-193f33bec83aThe mission of the U.S. International Trade Commission (Commission) is to: (1) administer U.S. trade remedy laws within its mandate in a fair and objective manner; (2) provide the President, the United States Trade Representative (USTR), and Congress with independent, quality analysis, information, and support on matters of tariffs and international trade and competitiveness; and (3) maintain the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States. In so doing, the Commission serves the public by implementing U.S. law and contributing to the development of sound and informed U.S. trade policy._0aa98875-c305-4507-a100-77aa91b7e8c2Import Injury InvestigationsFacilitate a rules-based international trading system and ensure that the United States fully benefits from that system by producing high quality and timely import injury determinations based on: - an effective exchange of information between the Commission and interested persons, - an appropriate investigative record, and - fair and equitably-implemented procedures._9c1e0038-1d6d-4b97-a390-694bd5996a351Stable Mission. As part of its mission, the Commission produces high-quality, well-reasoned determinations in a variety of import injury investigations, including antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) investigations concerning the effects of unfairly traded imports on a U.S. industry, as well as safeguards and market disruption investigations. The Commission provides a fair and transparent mechanism for investigating allegations of injury to domestic industries. The Commission thereby facilitates a rules-based international trading system and carries out U.S. law. While changes in the statutory regimes governing import injury investigations have occurred in the past and can be expected to occur in the future, the fundamental mission of the Commission in conducting import injury investigations is expected to continue. The investigations are conducted fairly and objectively and provide interested parties withmeaningful opportunities to participate in and influence the investigative proceedings. The Commission regularly assesses the procedural requirements for investigations to identify costs incurred by the Commission and private litigants that could be reduced consistent with the provision of a fair and thorough investigative process. The determinations issued by the Commission conform to applicable deadlines and required procedures. The Commission expertly defends its AD/CVD determinations in litigation before courts and dispute resolution panels. Dynamic Workload. The Commission faced a substantial workload in 1998-2001 resulting from the new requirement to conduct sunset reviews of all orders at least 5 years old (“transition reviews”). The Commission faces a permanent increase in workload due to other reviews, and will again face a substantial increase in its sunset review caseload starting in 2004 when it reviews anew remaining transition orders. Safeguard investigations have increased in number in recent years, and the law authorizing the extension of permanent normal trade relations to the People’s Republic of China has resulted in the conduct of a new form of import injury investigation addressing market disruption and may result in new investigations addressing trade diversion. The Commission maintains high standards in the conduct of import injury investigations while accommodating increases in workload. Resource Requirements: New tools. The Commission seeks to ensure adequate resources for the conduct of investigations, including five-year reviews. This effort includes providing effective analytical and other research tools to the Commission staff such as document imaging and Internet access, as well as appropriate hardware, software, telecommunications, and library resources. Technical expertise. Commission staff provide high-quality support, including fact-gathering and analysis, for Commission decision-making. Operation No. 1 involves the efforts of Commissioners and their staffs, and investigative teams made up of investigators, financial analysts, and statisticians from the Commission’s Office of Investigations, attorneys from the Office of the General Counsel, economists in the Office of Economics, industry analysts in the Office of Industries, and attorneys and nomenclature analysts in the Office of Tariff Affairs and Trade Agreements. The Secretary and her staff maintain the administrative record and provide other support. The Office of the Chief Information Officer provides support for automated data and information systems, the Office of External Relations provides media relations and other support, and the Office of Administration provides administrative support. Enhanced skills. The effort also includes maintaining staff currency in analytical methods by such means as participation in outside and in-house academic conferences and other professional fora.Timely Reviews(a) Conduct appropriate internal review of draft investigation and litigation documents. (b) Meet statutory, court, and administrative deadlines._c283c4d2-23f4-46f4-8296-dcb7735781ba1.1RecordsEffectively develop investigative records and provide information on investigations to participants and the public._5ad9b65c-cc52-43e5-9452-002fc0a2b4661.2Intellectual Property-Based Import InvestigationsFacilitate a rules-based international trading system by conducting intellectual property-based import investigations in an expeditious and transparent manner and providing for effective relief when violations of Section 337 are found and relief is warranted._c86dcde5-d8e0-4b88-b6e2-cb86b33185de2Stable mission. The Commission adjudicates complaints brought by domestic industries under Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 that allege infringement of U.S. intellectual property rights and other unfair methods of competition in connection with imported goods. The Commission thereby facilitates a rules-based international trading system by providing a fair and transparent forum for the adjudication of such disputes. Section 337 investigations are conducted in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, which affords the parties the opportunity to conduct discovery, present evidence, and make legal arguments before the Administrative Law Judges and the Commission. The procedures also protect the public interest and provide the parties with expedited determinations. The Commission expertly defends these determinations during judicial appeals. Dynamic workload. The Section 337 caseload has risen significantly as the Commission’s forum has become of greater interest to intellectual property right holders. The Commission produces high-quality, detailed analyses of complex legal and technical subject matter while handling the increase in workload. Resource Requirements: Technical expertise. Operation No. 2 involves the efforts of Commissioners and their staffs, Commission Administrative Law Judges and their law clerks, attorneys from the Office of Unfair Import Investigations and the Office of the General Counsel, and the Secretary and her staff. Attorneys in the various offices that work on substantive Section 337 issues have technical or intellectual property law expertise. The Office of the Chief Information Officer provides support for automated data and information systems, the Office of External Relations provides media relations and other support, and the Office of Administration provides administrative support. New tools. The Commission seeks to provide effective litigation support tools to Commission staff, such as document access via electronic means, and to monitor continuously and, when necessary, rebalance caseloads, in order to produce the best work product with the available technical and human resources. Enhanced skills. The effort also includes maintaining staff currency in litigation skills, technical expertise, and analytical methods by such means as participation in outside and in-house academic conferences and other professional fora.TimelinessMeet statutory and key administrative and court deadlines, conclude Section 337 investigations expeditiously, and reduce the average time to conclude ancillary proceedings._3f2c86cc-391f-4877-acd5-8d9bc2d836da2.1InformationEffectively provide information regarding investigations to the public as well as to investigative participants._757ff276-28bf-40bf-83e6-bbec704115592.2EnforcementActively facilitate enforcement of exclusion orders._b30696c6-32e0-47c6-af7b-1b04d8a4ddba2.3Research ProgramMaintain a research program that provides the Legislative and Executive Branches, as well as the public, with timely research products that are widely recognized for their contribution to sound and informed trade policy formulation._2f3e2e8b-6b9b-4e9e-be67-e34ddc7e62583Stable mission. The Commission contributes to the development of sound and informed U.S. international trade policy and to the public debate on issues relating to U.S. international trade and competitiveness through an extensive research program. The Commission’s long-range goals are to be a federal resource of industry, economic, and regional trade experts for the nation’s policymakers and to enhance its position as a recognized leader in independent research and analysis through objective and timely reports. The Commission’s research program consists of its probable economic effects investigations under Section 131 of the Trade Act of 1974 and Section 2104 of the Trade Act of 2002; analysis of trade and competitiveness issues under Section 332 of the Tariff Act of 1930; and independent assessments on a wide range of emerging trade issues. While changes in the statutory regimes governing research program investigations have occurred in the past and can be expected to occur in the future, the fundamental mission of the Commission in conducting such investigations is expected to continue. The commodity and economic expertise developed and maintained as part of the Research Program contributes to the conduct of the Commission’s import injury investigations under Operation 1, formal studies under Operation 3, legislative reports under Operation 4, and the provision of rapid technical assistance to the Executive Branch and Congress under Operation 5. The expertise developed in the Commission’s research program is also used in providing technical assistance on industry and trade conditions to the general public and the business community. This assistance is provided both informally in immediate responses to telephone inquiries and more formally through written correspondence and public addresses. Dynamic workload. The focus and nature of Commission research shifts with changes in U.S. trade legislation and with new U.S. country and sectoral trade initiatives. For example, recent legislative changes are bringing a significant increase in the number of probable effect analyses related to free trade agreements (FTAs), various textiles preference programs, and agricultural trade. Likewise, in recent years service industries have grown in importance in relation to the U.S. economy and U.S. trade positions, and the Commission’s research efforts in the area have correspondingly expanded. Similarly, the agency continues to commit resources to explore issues of increasing interest to policy makers such as the assessment of non-tariff barriers and the interaction of trade and environmental policies. Resource Requirements Technical expertise. Operation No. 3 involves the efforts of Commissioners and their staffs, industry analysts in the Commission’s Office of Industries who specialize in commodity areas such as agriculture and forest products, textiles, and electronics, economists in the Office of Economics with regional or analytical specialties, nomenclature analysts and attorneys in the Office of Tariff Affairs and TradeAgreements, statisticians in theOffice of Investigations, staff in the Office of External Relations, attorneys from the Office of the General Counsel, and the Secretary and her staff. The Office of Operations provides support for automated data and information systems, and the Office of Administration provides administrative support. New tools. The Commission seeks to provide effective research tools to the Commission staff, including appropriate hardware, software, telecommunications, U.S. and foreign databases, and library resources. The availability of various information disseminationmethods allows the agency to make research available through wide public dissemination of reports and databases by themost economic means available, including both electronic (e.g., Internet) and hard copy formats. Enhanced skills. The Commission conducts regular assessments of research projects. The goals of these assessments are to improve the Commission’s overall research contribution through exploration of new conceptual approaches; to streamline research procedures; to optimize Commission review time; and to make other changes that enhance quality, efficiency, and effectiveness. Further, the Commission seeks to improve communications with the Executive Branch and Congress to maximize the Commission’s contribution to trade decisionmakers, particularly through regular contact with them by the Office of External Relations and pre- and post-investigation meetings. The agency is committed to expanding the areas of resident industry, economic, and trade expertise and maintaining currency of professional and analytical skills, such as acknowledged high quality modeling and economic expertise, by providing appropriate training and maintaining an environment for innovative research. The Commission seeks the knowledge and expertise of customers, other agencies, academia, and industry in the formulation of research plans and the conduct of research via means such as participation in academic conferences, interagency fora, and Commission seminars.Research ProductsEffective and timely provision of state-of-the-art research products to customers._d1000e61-d7f5-4fc3-9cae-37f91bf9ef283.1InnovationImplement innovative research methods and address emerging areas and issues._90cae2e2-790f-4ef7-bfd8-0d7a8a99f6883.2Trade and Tariff Information ServicesProvide effective technical expertise and advice on the implementation of trade policy and related administrative decisions; enhance the availability of high-quality tariff and international trade information to the Executive and Legislative Branches, as well as the broader trade community and the public; and increase the ability of customers to use such information._82c31130-54a8-40f5-b5e6-82b1e102e2d14Stable mission. The Commission maintains an extensive repository of trade data and trade-related expertise and provides information services relating to U.S. international trade and competitiveness. The Commission thereby provides various resources to the trade policy community. The trade and tariff information services program prepares technical reports and analyses in response to special requests, maintains tariff and trade databases, and provides information gathering, processing, dissemination, and support for all Commission programs. Trade and tariff information services include such activities as trade remedy assistance; library services; legislative reports; maintenance of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS); the preparation of draft Presidential Proclamations; Schedule XX (schedule of U.S. goods liberalization commitments) and the U.S. Schedule of Services Commitments under the World Trade Organization; preparation of U.S. submissions to the Integrated Database of the World Trade Organization; periodic and specifically requested reports on U.S. bilateral, regional, and multilateral trade relations; the online Tariff and Trade Database (DataWeb); and certain other information gathering, processing, and dissemination activities. Commission staff serve on U.S. delegations to the Harmonized System (HS) Committee. A Commission representative chairs the U.S. delegation to the Review Sub-Committee of the HS Committee. Currently a Commission representative also serves as Chairman of the Sub-Committee. The Commission also is a board member of and chairs an interagency effort to streamline the collection and dissemination of U.S. trade data (the International Trade Data System) and is active in interagency efforts to streamline the preparation of data for international fora. The Commission also serves as a member and chair of an interagency committee responsible for developing statistical product categories for imports and exports. In addition, the Commission makes recommendations to the President to modify the HTS. Dynamic workload. The Commission’s workload fluctuates significantly based on legislative and executive branch activity, as well as on the number of new trade agreements and other trade policy changes. Resource Requirements: Technical Expertise. Operation No. 4 involves the efforts of Commissioners and their staffs, nomenclature analysts and attorneys in the Commission’s Office of Tariff Affairs and Trade Agreements, staff in the Office of Operations, the Trade Remedy Assistance Office, industry analysts in the Commission’s Office of Industries, attorneys from the Office of the General Counsel, and the Secretary and her staff. The Office of the Chief Information Officer provides support for automated data and information systems, the Office of External Relations provides media relations and other support, and the Office of Administration provides administrative support. New tools. The Commission seeks to provide effective research tools to the Commission staff, including appropriate hardware, software, telecommunications, and library resources. Commission staff are continuing to develop and maintain resources such as the Dataweb, and to work with other agencies on initiatives such as the International Trade Data System.Information DisseminationIncrease the utility and improve the dissemination of ITC trade and tariff information services to customers._77a0f1e1-a45b-472d-bf25-4081e2a6da094.1Nomenclature and Technical ServicesProvide timely, effective, and responsive nomenclature and similar technical services to customers._8fd613e2-7a8d-416e-ab8f-b106333458784.2Trade Policy SupportContribute to the development of sound and informed U.S. international trade policy by providing effective technical support and analysis to the Executive Branch in international trade negotiations, international trade dispute resolution proceedings, and other international trade fora and to the Legislative Branch through appropriate committees and subcommittees._7624c987-878a-40aa-a0f6-af8293b2f0365Stablemission. The Commission is a direct and active contributor to the formulation of U.S. trade policy, providing objective input to both the Executive Branch and Congress on the basis of the distinctive expertise of its staff. The Commission does not make trade policy, nor does its staff participate in policy decisions on any committee on which they participate. The Commission and its staff support policymakers by providing technical expertise, factual information, and legal assistance in trade negotiations and international dispute settlement litigation on trade issues. Dynamic workload. The Commission provides technical analysis of international trade issues that constantly vary in number and complexity. Agency staff seek opportunities to support U.S. trade policy formulation and serve as technical advisors to U.S. delegations in trade negotiations undertaken by the Administration and to U.S. delegations involved in dispute settlement litigation. The Commission and its staff of trade experts stand ready to conduct “quick response” research and analysis for Congress and the Executive Branch on any trade issues that confront them as key decision makers in the international trade arena. Resource Requirements: Technical expertise. Operation No. 5 involves the efforts of Commissioners and their staffs, staff in the Commission’s Offices of Operations and External Relations, industry analysts in the Office of Industries, economists in the Office of Economics, nomenclature analysts and attorneys in the Office of Tariff Affairs and Trade Agreements, attorneys from the Office of the General Counsel, and the Secretary and her staff. The Office of the Chief Information Officer provides support for automated data and information systems, and the Office of Administration provides administrative support. New tools. The Commission employs enhanced technology to broaden the scope of its analysis and to better deliver trade policy support through the agency’s web site and other electronic means.Technical AnalysesRegularly contribute technical analysis to organizations involved in trade policy formulation where Commission participation is appropriate._f130a02b-33ce-4b02-b92c-171f2a9ffaa95.1Trade Policy SupportProvide effective trade policy support to customers._dc4b84b3-6956-4419-a2df-248c47ea8fe75.22003-10-012008-09-302010-02-08http://www.usitc.gov/ext_relations/about_itc/strategic_plan_03_08.pdfArthurColman (www.drybridge.com)colman@drybridge.com