U.S. International Trade Commission

Agency

1. independent agency charged with conducting specialized studies of international trade and tariffs, including examinations of U.S. and foreign customs laws, and making recommendations to the president, Congress, and other government agencies. The USITC conducts investigations, holds public hearings, and carries out research projects pertaining to the issue of foreign importation vis-à-vis U.S. domestic production and consumption, seeking to identify, among other things, unfair or injurious practices in import trade. As part of its broad powers, the USITC advises the president regarding proposed trade agreements, reviews rates of duty on specific articles, investigates market disruptions, monitors the effects of subsidized goods entering the United States, studies import interference with domestic agricultural programs, and issues tariff schedules, trade summaries, and other publications.