[United States Government Manual]
[June 01, 2000]
[Pages 549-553]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

500 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20436

Phone, 202-205-2000. Internet, www.usitc.gov.
Chairman                                          Lynn M. Bragg
Vice Chairman                                     Marcia E. Miller
Commissioners                                     Jennifer A. Hillman, 
                                                          Stephen 
                                                          Koplan, Thelma 
                                                          J. Askey, 
                                                          Deanna Tanner 
                                                          Okun
Administrative Law Judges                         Sidney Harris, Paul J. 
                                                          Luckern, Debra 
                                                          Morriss
Director, Office of Administration                Stephen McLaughlin
Director, Office of Economics                     Robert B. Koopman
Director, Office of External Relations            Daniel F. Leahy
    Congressional Relations Officer               Nancy M. Carman
    Public Affairs Officer                        Margaret M. O'Laughlin
    Trade Remedy Assistance Program               John J. Greer
            Manager
Director, Office of Equal Employment Opportunity  Jacqueline A. Waters
Director, Office of Information Services          Martin Smith
Director, Office of Industries                    M. Vern Simpson, Jr.
    Division Chief, Agriculture and               Cathy L. Jabara
            Forest Products
    Division Chief, Minerals, Metals,             Larry L. Brookhart
            Machinery, and Miscellaneous 
            Manufactures
    Division Chief, Energy, Chemicals,            John J. Gersic
            and Textiles
    Division Chief, Electronics and               Norman McLennan
            Transportation
    Division Chief, Services and                  Richard W. Brown
            Investment
Director, Office of Investigations                Lynn Featherstone
Director, Office of Operations                    Robert Rogowsky
Director, Office of Tariff Affairs and Trade      Eugene A. Rosengarden
        Agreements
Director, Office of Unfair Import Investigations  Lynn Levine
General Counsel                                   Lyn M. Schlitt
Inspector General                                 Dev Jagadesan,Acting
Secretary                                         Donna R. Koehnke

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The United States International Trade Commission furnishes studies, 
reports, and recommendations involving international trade and tariffs 
to the President, the U.S. Trade Representative, and congressional 
committees. The Commission also conducts a variety of investigations 
pertaining to international trade relief.

The United States International Trade Commission is an independent 
agency created by act of September 8, 1916 (39 Stat. 795), and 
originally named the United States Tariff Commission. The name was 
changed to the United States International Trade Commission by section 
171 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2231).
    Six Commissioners are appointed by the President with the advice and 
consent of the Senate for 9-year terms,


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unless appointed to fill an unexpired term. The Chairman and Vice 
Chairman are designated by the President for 2-year terms, and 
succeeding Chairmen may not be of the same political party. The Chairman 
generally is responsible for the administration of the Commission. Not 
more than three Commissioners may be members of the same political party 
(19 U.S.C. 1330).

Activities

The Commission performs a number of functions pursuant to the statutes 
referred to above. Under the Tariff Act of 1930, the Commission is given 
broad powers of investigation relating to the customslaws of the United 
States and foreign countries; the volume of importation in comparison 
with domestic production and consumption; the conditions, causes, and 
effects relating to competition of foreign industries with those of the 
United States; and all other factors affecting competition between 
articles of the United States and imported articles. The Commission is 
required to make available to the President and to the Committee on Ways 
and Means of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on 
Finance of the Senate, whenever requested, all information at its 
command and is directed to make such investigations and reports as may 
be requested by the President or by either of said committees or by 
either branch of the Congress.
    In order to carry out these responsibilities, the Commission is 
required to engage in extensive research, conduct specialized studies, 
and maintain a high degree of expertise in all matters relating to the 
commercial and international trade policies of the United States.
Imported Articles Subsidized or Sold at Less Than Fair Value  The 
Commission conducts preliminary-phase investigations to determine 
whether imports of foreign merchandise allegedly being subsidized or 
sold at less than fair value may pose a threat to an industry in the 
United States. If the Commission's determination is affirmative, and the 
Secretary of Commerce determines there is reason to believe or suspect 
such unfair practices are occurring, then the Commission conducts final-
phase investigations to determine the potential threat to an industry 
because of such imports.
    If the Secretary of Commerce determines to suspend an investigation 
upon acceptance of an agreement to terminate such imports, the 
Commission may conduct an investigation to determine whether the 
agreement completely eliminates the threat. The Commission also conducts 
investigations to determine whether revocation or modification of 
existing agreements due to changed circumstances would pose new threat.
Unfair Practices in Import Trade  The Commission applies U.S. statutory 
and common law of unfair competition to the importation of products into 
the United States and their sale. If the Commission determines that 
there is a violation of law, it is to direct that the articles involved 
be excluded from entry into the United States, or it may issue cease-
and-desist orders directing the person engaged in such violation to 
cease and desist from engaging in such unfair methods or acts.
Trade Negotiations  The Commission advises the President as to the 
probable economic effect on the domestic industry and consumers of 
modification of duties and other barriers to trade that may be 
considered for inclusion in any proposed trade agreement with foreign 
countries.
Generalized System of Preferences  The Commission advises the President 
with respect to every article that may be considered for preferential 
removal of the duty on imports from designated developing countries as 
to the probable economic effect the preferential removal of duty will 
have on the domestic industry and on consumers.
Industry Adjustment to Import Competition (Global Safeguard Actions)  
The Commission conducts investigations upon petition on behalf of an 
industry, a firm, a group of workers, or other entity representative of 
an industry to

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determine whether an article is being imported in such increased 
quantities as to pose a threat to the domestic industry producing an 
article like or directly competitive with the imported article. If the 
Commission's finding is affirmative, it recommends to the President the 
action that would address such a threat and be most effective in 
facilitating positive adjustment by the industry to import competition.
    The Commission reports with respect to developments within an 
industry that has been granted import relief and advises the President 
of the probable economic effect of the reduction or elimination of the 
tariff increase that has been granted. The President may continue, 
modify, or terminate the import relief previously granted.
Imports From NAFTA Countries (Bilateral Safeguard Actions)  The 
Commission conducts investigations to determine whether, as a result of 
the reduction or elimination of a duty provided for under the North 
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a Canadian article or a Mexican 
article, as the case may be, is being imported into the United States in 
such increased quantities and under such conditions so that imports of 
the article constitute a substantial cause of serious injury or (except 
in the case of a Canadian article) a threat of serious injury to the 
domestic industry producing an article that is like or directly 
competitive with the imported article. If the Commission's determination 
is in the affirmative, the Commission recommends to the President the 
relief which is necessary to prevent or remedy serious injury. 
Commission investigations under these provisions are similar 
procedurally to those conducted under the global safeguard action 
provisions.
Market Disruption From Communist Countries  The Commission conducts 
investigations to determine whether increased imports of an article 
produced in a Communist country are causing market disruption in the 
United States. If the Commission's determination is in the affirmative, 
the President may take the same action as in the case of serious injury 
to an industry, except that the action would apply only to imports of 
the article from the Communist country. Commission investigations 
conducted under this provision are similar procedurally to those 
conducted under the global safeguard action provisions.
Import Interference With Agricultural Programs  The Commission conducts 
investigations, at the direction of the President, to determine whether 
any articles are being or are practically certain to be imported into 
the United States under such conditions and in such quantities as to 
render or tend to render ineffective or to materially interfere with 
programs of the Department of Agriculture for agricultural commodities 
or products thereof, or to substantially reduce the amount of any 
product processed in the United States from such commodities or 
products, and makes findings and recommendations. The President may 
restrict the imports in question by imposition of either import fees or 
quotas. Such fees or quotas may be applied only against countries that 
are not members of the World Trade Organization.
Uniform Statistical Data  The Commission, in cooperation with the 
Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Commerce, establishes for 
statistical purposes an enumeration of articles imported into the United 
States and exported from the United States, and seeks to establish 
comparability of such statistics with statistical programs for domestic 
production.
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, Annotated  The 
Commission issues a publication containing the U.S. tariff schedules and 
related matters and considers questions concerning the arrangement of 
such schedules and the classification of articles.
International Trade Studies  The Commission conducts studies, 
investigations, and research projects on a broad range of topics 
relating to international trade, pursuant to requests of the President, 
the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, either 
branch of the

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Congress, or on its own motion. Public reports of these studies, 
investigations, and research projects are issued in most cases.
    The Commission also keeps informed of the operation and effect of 
provisions relating to duties or other import restrictions of the United 
States contained in various trade agreements. Occasionally the 
Commission is required by statute to perform specific trade-related 
studies.
Industry and Trade Summaries  The Commission prepares and publishes a 
series of summaries of trade and tariff information. These summaries 
contain descriptions (in terms of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 
United States) of the thousands of products imported into the United 
States, methods of production, and the extent and relative importance of 
U.S. consumption, production, and trade, together with certain basic 
factors affecting the competitive position and economic health of 
domestic industries.

Sources of Information

Inquiries should be directed to the specific organizational unit or to 
the Secretary, United States International Trade Commission, 500 E 
Street SW., Washington, DC 20436. Phone, 202-205-2000.
Contracts  The Procurement Executive has responsibility for contract 
matters. Phone, 202-205-2722.
Electronic Access  Commission publications, news releases, Federal 
Register notices, scheduling information, the Commission's interactive 
Trade and Tariff DataWeb, and general information about ITC are 
available for electronic access. Investigation-related public inspection 
files are available through the Electronic Document Imaging System 
(EDIS). Internet, www.usitc.gov.
Employment  Information on employment can be obtained from the Director, 
Office of Personnel. The agency employs international economists, 
attorneys, accountants, commodity and industry specialists and analysts, 
and clerical and other support personnel. Phone, 202-205-2651.
Publications  The Commission publishes results of investigations 
concerning various commodities and subjects. Other publications include 
Industry and Trade Summaries, an annual report to the Congress on the 
operation of the trade agreements program; and an annual report to the 
Congress of Commission activities. Specific information regarding these 
publications can be obtained from the Office of the Secretary.
Reading Rooms  Reading rooms are open to the public in the Office of the 
Secretary and in the ITC National Library of International Trade and the 
ITC law library.

For further information, contact the Secretary, United States 
International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20436. 
Phone, 202-205-2000. Internet, www.usitc.gov.

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