    [United States Government Manual]
    [June 01, 2002]
    [Pages 542-547]
    [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                                          Stephen Koplan
    Vice Chairman                                     Deanna Tanner Okun
    Commissioners                                     Lynn M. Bragg,
                                                              Jennifer A.
                                                              Hillman,
                                                              Marcia E.
                                                              Miller,
                                                              (vacancy)
    Administrative Law Judges                         Sidney Harris, Paul J.
                                                              Luckern,
                                                              Delbert
                                                              Terrill
    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
    [[Page 543]]anufactures

        Division Chief, Energy, Chemicals,            John J. Gersic
                and Textiles
        Division Chief, Electronics and               Sylvia McDonough
                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                                 Kenneth F. Clarke
    Secretary                                         Marilyn R. Abbott

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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, 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 injure or threaten to injure 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

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    determine the injury or threat of injury to an industry because of such
    imports.
        Under the Uruguay Round Agreements Act, the Commission also conducts
    sunset reviews. In these reviews, the Commission evaluates whether
    material injury to a U.S. industry would continue or recur if the
    antidumping duty or countervailing duty order under review was revoked.
    Such injury reviews must be conducted on all antidumping duty and
    countervailing duty orders every 5 years as long as the orders remain in
    effect.

    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 determine whether an article is being imported in such
    increased quantities as to injure or threaten to injure 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 President determines if import
    relief is appropriate.
        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.

    [[Page 546]]

    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 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

    [[Page 547]]

    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 review 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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