AllGov - Department of Commerce - International Trade Administration

NEWS:

News

U.S. Role in Filing to Stir Trade Efforts (by Bob Davis, Wall Street Journal)

Oil Falls 3.5% As Crude Supplies Rise (by Polya Lesova and Myra P. Saefong, MarketWatch)

The End of the Globalization Debate? (by Edward Gresser, YaleGlobal)

Mexican Truckers File $6 Billion Claim Against U.S. in Nafta Spat (by Jose De Cordoba, Wall Street Journal)

GM Files Bankruptcy to Spin Off More Competitive Firm (by Linda Sandler, Chris Scinta, Bob Van Voris and Jeff Green, Bloomberg)

Food Security or Economic Slavery? (by Ogho Okiti, BusinessDay)

Geithner Calls for Closer Economic Ties With China (by Martin Crutsinger, Associated Press)

Lifting Cuban Embargo a Trade-Off for South Florida Business (by Frances Robles, Miami Herald)

Wal-Mart Set to Make First Foray into India (by Penny MacRae, Agence France-Presse)

Economic Crisis Reveals Deeper Human Rights Problems (Amnesty International)

Steel Mills Attack Imported Chinese Tubulars (by Tom Stundza, Purchasing)

It’s Not About North Korea (by Stuart Whatley, Huffington Post)

Hottest Oil Options Show 18% Drop as Demand Falls (by Alexander Kwiatkowski, Bloomberg)

Panama Wrong Choice for Obama’s First Trade Deal (by David Batker and Stephanie Celt, Seattle Times)

Pelosi Mum on Rights Before Trip to China (by Ariana Eunjung Cha and Glenn Kessler, Washington Post)

U.S., China Set to Grapple With Currency, Trade Concerns (by P. Parameswaran, Agence France-Presse)

Venezuela Economy Slows on Dwindling Oil Demand (by Jeremy Morgan, Latin American Herald Tribune)

Local Beauty Products Entrepreneur Goes Global (by Jenalia Moreno, Houston Chronicle)

WTO Trade Talks Machine Revs Up After U.S. Visit (by Jonathan Lynn, Reuters)

Democrats Reject Pollution Parity With China, India (by Lorraine Woellert and Simon Lomax, Bloomberg)

U.S. Antitrust Becomes More European (by Keith N. Hylton, Geoffrey A. Manne and Joshua D. Wright, Forbes)

Gasoline Ending Biggest Rally in Decade as Driving Season Opens (by Barbara Powell and Aaron Clark, Bloomberg)

U.S. Eyes Asia Trade Vistas After Panama, Doha: Kirk (by Susan Cornwell, Reuters)

Kirk Suggests No Backtracking on Doha (by Steve LeVine, Business Week)

Stimulating Trade Wars (Investor’s Business Daily)

America’s New Monopoly Buster (by Telis Demos, Fortune)

U.S. Trade Chief Vows Partners, Substance Awaited (by Jonathan Lynn, Reuters)

U.S. Lawmakers Target China Currency Policy (Agence France-Presse)

Cars Hold Up South Korean Trade Deal (by Chris Woodyard, USA Today)

Ahead of the Bell: Trade Deficit (Associated Press)

U.S. Economy: Trade Gap Widens as Exports Decrease (by Bob Willis, Bloomberg)

Trade-Based Money Laundering Flourishing (United Press International)

Expropriations in Venezuela Threaten Oil Supply (Spero News)

Tough Year Ahead for U.S.-China Trade (by Doug Palmer, Reuters)

Groups Complain of Continued Secrecy About Trade Pact (by Grant Gross, IDG News)

NCBA Urges Administration To Uphold Fair & Science-Based Trade Policies (Cattle Network)

U.S. Lawmaker Hopeful on Latam Trade Deal (by Doug Palmer, Reuters)

Congress to Obama: “No You Can’t” On China (by Phil Levy, Foreign Policy)

Obama Calls for New Curbs on Offshore Tax Havens (by Jackie Calmes and Edmund L. Andrews, New York Times)

Obama and Trade: Low Expectations Exceeded (The Economist)

Obama Warms to Global Trade (by Steve Levine, Business Week)

NPPC Expects Export Restrictions Temporary (National Pork Producers Council)

Congress Weighs Easing of Cuba Trade Limits (by Lesley Clark, McClatchy)

Colombia Seeks Path for U.S. Trade Deal This Week (by Doug Palmer, Reuters)

U.S. Protectionism a Threat to North America: Stockwell Day (by Sheldon Alberts, Canwest)

Gold-The Yuan Goes Global-Consequences (by Julian D. W. Phillips, Global Watch)

How Does $9000 Gold Sound? (by Marc Chandler, Brown Brothers Harriman)

Trade is the Key to Fueling the Economy, Kirk Says (by James Wright, Afro)

Lawmaker Moves to Delay Free-Trade Pacts (by Josh Mitchell, Wall Street Journal)

Tax Haven Questions Could Trip Up Panama Trade Pact (by Martin Vaughan, Dow Jones)

Oil Prices Drop as Inventories Swell (by Chris Khan, Associated Press)

Obama Administration Lock(e)s And Loads Against Movie Piracy (by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch)

Protectionist Rubber Meets the Road (Wall Street Journal)

No plan to Reopen NAFTA, says U.S. Trade Rep (by Lee-Anne Goodman, Canadian Press)

Overview

The ITA is responsible for promoting U.S. industry interests in international trade. The agency provides market intelligence to U.S. exporters, ensures their access to international markets and enforces foreign compliance with international trade agreements—in part by regulating unfair competition provisions and enforcing rules governing dumped and subsidized imports from foreign countries. The agency develops and implements the government’s foreign trade policy and acts as an advisor for the same.

History

Most functions performed by the ITA have their origins in the Bureaus of Statistics and Manufacturers in the Department of Commerce and Labor, established in 1903. The Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce was established in 1912 to develop and promote domestic manufacturing industries and related markets both in the U.S. and abroad.

The ITA was established in 1980 as a result of a reorganization of the government’s international trade functions—with the aim of creating a division for non-agricultural trade operations and assistance to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in the coordination of trade policy. The reorganization created the Under Secretary for International Trade; consolidated existing Commerce Department exports promotion, export administration and trade policy programs; transferred the administration of the antidumping and countervailing duty laws from the Treasury Department; and transferred the foreign commercial functions from the State Department to the new Foreign Commercial Service. In 1984, responsibility for industry sector analysis was transferred to ITA from the Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs.

Official ITA History

What it Does