General Factfinding Investigations

February 27, 2025
News Release 25-027
Inv. No(s). 332-598
Contact: Claire Huber, 202-205-1819

The U.S. International Trade Commission (Commission or USITC) today released a U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)-requested report that calculates the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensities of U.S. steel and aluminum industries. The report, Greenhouse Gas Emissions Intensities of the U.S. Steel and Aluminum Industries at the Product Level, was requested by the USTR in a letter received on June 5, 2023. 

USTR’s request letter asked the USITC to:

• Calculate the GHG emissions intensity of steel and aluminum produced in the United States by product category in 2022, with data on scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. 
• Describe the methodologies the USITC used to collect relevant information and calculate the emissions intensity estimates.
• Identify where emissions occur during manufacturing, with respect to the production stages and sourcing location of inputs. 

To gather data for the calculation of product-level emissions intensity estimates, the USITC surveyed all U.S. facilities that produced the steel and aluminum products covered under the section 232 investigation in 2022.

This report conveys the Commission’s factual findings and analyses. The Commission makes no recommendations on policy or other matters in this report. 

Major Findings of the Investigation

The processes and inputs used in U.S. steel and aluminum production drive their emission intensities.

Semifinished Steel

The average emissions intensity estimate for U.S. carbon and other alloy semifinished steel was 1.02 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per metric ton of steel (mt CO2e/mt steel) in 2022.

• The emissions intensities estimates of U.S. carbon and alloy steel products are primarily influenced by two factors: 
  • The production pathway (the more emissions-intensive blast furnace and basic oxygen furnace, or BF-BOF, pathway, versus the electric arc furnace, or EAF, pathway) used to produce the semifinished steel, which is used as substrate in mill products.
  • The relative use of emissions-intensive upstream material inputs like pig iron and direct reduced iron.
• The average emissions intensity for U.S. stainless steel semifinished steel was 2.23 mt CO2e/mt steel in 2022. The emissions intensity of U.S. stainless steel products is mainly influenced by the reliance on emissions-intensive ferroalloy (an alloy of iron with a significant amount of one or more other elements, like chromium or nickel) inputs. All U.S. stainless semifinished steel-producing facilities reported operating an EAF. Therefore, variation in the production pathway does not drive emissions intensities for stainless steel.

Steel Mill Products

Average emissions intensities among carbon and alloy steel mill products ranged between 0.67 mt CO2e/mt steel for hot-worked long products and 2.17 mt CO2e/mt steel for coated flat products. Average emissions intensities among stainless steel mill products ranged between 2.31 mt CO2e/mt steel for hot-rolled flat and 4.55 mt CO2e/mt steel for wire.

• Further downstream steel products generally had higher emissions intensities than less-processed steel products. This is because each subsequent process in steel production involves more steps and therefore more opportunities for emissions.
• For carbon and alloy steel mill products, the most emissions-intensive processes in the U.S. steel industry occur during the upstream production of pig iron and semifinished steel. The additional subprocesses used to produce downstream products are also significant, however, leading to meaningful differences in emissions intensities across the carbon and alloy steel product categories.
• Stainless steel mill products are more emissions intensive than their carbon and alloy steel counterparts. This is due to the heavier use of energy and ferroalloys associated with stainless steel production.

Unwrought Aluminum

The average emissions intensity for all U.S. unwrought aluminum is 3.46 mt CO2e/mt aluminum. U.S. unwrought aluminum includes primary aluminum, which is produced from alumina at smelters using electrolysis, and secondary aluminum, which is produced by remelting primary aluminum and scrap-based inputs. Most U.S. unwrought production, in terms of volume and number of facilities, is of secondary unwrought aluminum.

• The average emissions intensity for U.S. primary unwrought aluminum is 14.52 mt CO2e/mt aluminum. The main drivers of the emissions intensity of primary unwrought aluminum are:
  • The large quantities of electricity needed for electrolysis. 
  • The fuel mix used to generate high quantities of the necessary electricity.
• The average emissions intensity for U.S. secondary unwrought aluminum is 2.46 mt CO2e/mt aluminum. Production of secondary unwrought aluminum is much less energy intensive, using a fraction of the electricity of primary unwrought production. The emissions intensity of secondary unwrought aluminum is influenced by the amount of primary unwrought aluminum versus scrap used as inputs and, to a lesser extent, by the efficiency of the furnaces used to heat the metal.

Wrought Aluminum

The average emissions intensities for U.S. wrought aluminum products ranged from 4.97 mt CO2e/mt aluminum for plates, sheets and strip, to 8.66 mt CO2e/mt aluminum for foil. The two main factors that drive the differences in emissions intensities between wrought product categories are the:

• Amount of primary versus secondary unwrought aluminum used. 
• Energy intensity of the various manufacturing processes.

Note: The Commission’s emissions intensity estimates for both steel and aluminum are calculated assuming that scrap inputs have zero embedded emissions.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Intensities of the U.S. Steel and Aluminum Industries at the Product Level (Investigation No. 332-598, USITC Publication 5584, February 2025) is available on the USITC website.

About Factfinding Investigations

USITC general factfinding investigations culminating in a report, such as this one, cover matters related to tariffs, trade and competitiveness and are generally conducted under section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930 at the request of the U.S. Trade Representative, the House Committee on Ways and Means or the Senate Committee on Finance. The resulting reports convey the Commission’s objective findings and independent analyses on the subjects investigated. The Commission makes no recommendations on policy or other matters in its general factfinding reports. Upon completion of each investigation, the USITC submits its findings and analyses to the requester. General factfinding investigation reports are subsequently released to the public unless they are classified by the requester for national security reasons.

September 30, 2024
News Release 24-096
Inv. No(s). 332-602
Contact: Jennifer Andberg, 202-205-1819

The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) today released a report about the export competitiveness of certain apparel suppliers to the United States. This report, Apparel: Export Competitiveness of Certain Foreign Suppliers to the United States (Inv. No. 332-602), was requested by the U.S. Trade Representative in a letter received on December 20, 2023.

The USITC, an independent, nonpartisan federal agency, examined the export competitiveness of the apparel industries in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, and Pakistan, and prepared a public report that includes:

• a comparison of the relative U.S. market shares held by Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, and Pakistan, as well as an analysis of changing patterns in apparel trade;
• a review of general literature on the key determinants driving export competitiveness in the global apparel industry; 
• a discussion of factors affecting export competitiveness in the apparel sector; and
• country-specific profiles of the apparel industries in the above-listed countries, including information on investment, vertical integration, duty-free access to the U.S. market, wages and labor productivity, and sourcing of inputs, as well as an assessment of the export competitiveness of each country in the U.S. market.

Key findings:

• The United States is the largest single-country apparel importer in the world. In 2023, U.S. imports of apparel totaled $79.3 billion, with the majority sourced from Asia. 
• Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, and Pakistan are notable suppliers to the United States—ranking among the top 10 U.S. import suppliers in 2023—and are also significant exporters in the global market. These five countries accounted for a combined 27.0 percent of U.S. apparel imports in 2023.
• The market shares of major U.S. suppliers changed significantly during 2013–23. The share of imports from China, the largest exporter to the United States, fell during the period, while the market shares of other top suppliers such as Vietnam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Pakistan increased.
• Although Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, and Pakistan differ with respect to the factors of competitiveness that make them attractive to U.S. brands and retailers, they share certain similarities and are all reportedly competitive on sourcing costs. Additional key highlights concerning the five profiled countries are as follows: 
  • As the second-largest apparel exporter in the world, Bangladesh has extensive capabilities in apparel manufacturing and specializes in bulk orders of basic garments. Factors such as low labor costs, relatively low input costs, and duty-free access to large destination markets outside of the United States contribute to Bangladesh’s cost competitiveness.
  • Foreign direct investment drives Cambodia’s export-oriented apparel industry with Cambodia focused on cut, make, and trim production using imports of upstream materials. Cambodia’s apparel industry is viewed as an attractive alternative to sourcing from China and its reputation for social responsibility contributes to its competitiveness.
  • India has a long history in textiles and apparel production and remains a steady source of U.S. imports. Quality and detailed finishing contribute to the competitiveness of India’s apparel production, which is supported by a highly vertically integrated apparel industry.
  • A major supplier of a wide variety of clothing, Indonesia exports the majority of its apparel to the United States. While it is a relatively high-cost source, Indonesia produces high-value, complex garments such as business attire, outdoor apparel, and athletic wear which contributes to its competitiveness.
  • Pakistan’s cotton sector supports the country’s apparel industry, which is noted for production of high-quality denim. Vertical integration and access to domestic cotton are competitive strengths, but buyers cite geopolitical risk as a concern.

Apparel: Export Competitiveness of Certain Foreign Suppliers to the United States (Inv. No. 332-602, USITC Publication 5543, August 2024) is available on the USITC website at: https://www.usitc.gov/publications/332/pub5543.pdf. 

 

About factfinding investigations: USITC general factfinding investigations, such as this one, cover matters related to tariffs, trade, and competitiveness and are generally conducted under section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930 at the request of the U.S. Trade Representative, the House Committee on Ways and Means, or the Senate Committee on Finance. The resulting reports convey the Commission’s objective findings and independent analyses on the subjects investigated. The Commission makes no recommendations on policy or other matters in its general factfinding reports. Upon completion of each investigation, the USITC submits its findings and analyses to the requester. General factfinding investigation reports are subsequently released to the public unless they are classified by the requester for national security reasons.

May 24, 2024
News Release 24-047
Inv. No(s). 332-601
Contact: Philip Stone, 202-205-1819

The United States remained the world’s largest services market and was the world’s leading exporter and importer of services in 2022, reports the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) in its new publication Recent Trends in U.S. Services Trade, 2024 Annual Report. The U.S. services sector also continues to represent the largest sector of the U.S. economy. 

The USITC, an independent, nonpartisan, factfinding federal agency, compiles the report annually. Each year’s report presents a qualitative and quantitative overview of U.S. trade in services and highlights some of the services sectors and geographic markets that contribute substantially to recent services trade performance.

This year’s report focuses on trade in financial services, which includes a wide range of activities that are responsible for facilitating monetary transactions, lending to consumers and firms, mobilizing and managing savings, providing liquidity in debt and equity markets, advising and underwriting corporate finance transactions, and developing instruments that manage risk.

The report includes a special topic section on the impact of higher inflation and interest rates, as well as two thematic chapters that focus on the use of digital and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in financial services and discuss changing demand for financial services related to sustainability, weather events, and the expansion of capital markets in emerging economies. Each of the subsectors in financial services (banking, insurance, and securities) are addressed in the special topic section and the two thematic chapters.

Financial services firms continued to digitalize their operations while looking to implement new AI technologies. 

• In banking, increasing digitalization has allowed banks to use advanced analytics in new ways throughout their operations. Middle- and back-office functions are using AI to improve fraud detection, risk management, and credit approvals.
• In insurance, firms are continuing to digitalize their operations, including to sort claims and applications, calculate risk scores, and verify and complete software applications. Insurers are also increasingly employing AI to aid pricing, claims processing, fraud detection, and underwriting. 
• In securities, firms such as investment banks and hedge funds have digitalized their processes, including through algorithmic trading strategies driven by machine learning and AI, and have introduced market innovations such as tokenized assets using blockchain technologies. 

Financial services firms are expanding the range of products and services they offer in response to heightened customer demand for sustainability and financial inclusion, as well as contributing to the growth of capital markets in emerging economies. 

• In banking, banks have prioritized sustainability (as it relates to climate change, gender equality, and financial inclusion) in response to growing demand for sustainable investment products and the increasing number of international frameworks focused on these issues. 
• In insurance, global property and casualty insurance companies have experienced changing demand conditions, including an increase in global insured losses, driven by such factors as increased population and development in coastal and other vulnerable areas, increased insurable values of physical assets, and the incidence and location of extreme weather events. 
• In securities, securities markets in emerging economies, especially large ones like China and India, are seeing increased transaction volumes and a broader range of securities products because of increased incomes and demand for additional savings and investment opportunities. 

The USITC hosted its 17th annual services roundtable, which was held on November 2, 2023. The discussion, summarized in the report, focused on infrastructure development and financing and services trade, and building services trade capacity.

Recent Trends in U.S. Services Trade, 2024 Annual Report (Investigation No. 332-601, USITC publication 5512, May 2024) is available on the USITC's website at http://www.usitc.gov/publications/332/pub5512.pdf.

May 26, 2023
News Release 23-047
Inv. No(s). 332-594
Contact: Elizabeth Nesbitt, 202-205-1819

The United States was the world's largest services market and was the world’s leading exporter and importer of services in 2021, reports the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) in its new publication Recent Trends in U.S. Services Trade, 2023 Annual Report. As also noted in the report, preliminary data on U.S. cross-border services trade for 2022 show that total services exports were 15.9 percent higher in 2022 compared to 2021.

The USITC, an independent, nonpartisan, factfinding federal agency, compiles the report annually. Each year's report presents a qualitative and quantitative overview of U.S. trade in services and highlights some of the services sectors and geographic markets that contribute substantially to recent services trade performance.

This year’s report focuses on distribution services, including specific discussions on retail supply chains, e-commerce, logistics, warehousing, maritime shipping, port services, trucking and rail, air cargo, and express delivery via drones. Each section analyzes global market conditions in the industry and summarizes the industry’s outlook.

The report describes detailed trade in services via cross-border transactions through 2021 and via affiliate sales through 2020, as well as preliminary cross-border trade data for 2022 (latest available data). Several highlights are listed below.

• In 2021, the services sector represented the largest sector of the U.S. economy, and the United States is the world’s top cross-border exporter and importer of services. U.S. exports of private services totaled $771.9 billion, whereas imports totaled $524.9 billion, resulting in a $247.0 billion trade surplus.
• Within the services sector, sales by foreign affiliates of U.S. firms—the leading channel by which many U.S. services are delivered to foreign markets—totaled $1.6 trillion in 2020 while the value of services purchased from foreign-owned affiliates in the United States totaled $1.2 trillion. 
• The distribution services sector includes a wide range of activities that facilitate the movement of goods through the supply chain from producer to end consumer. Distribution services accounted for 7.1 percent of total cross-border services exports and 17.4 percent of imports in 2021. They represented 27.4 percent of total sales by the foreign affiliates of U.S. firms and 29.5 percent of total purchases from the U.S. affiliates of foreign firms in 2020.

Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic created challenges for global supply chains and the distribution services that enable them, while recent volatility in consumer demand for goods imports and pandemic-related measures disrupted distribution and transportation networks. At the same time, firms have adopted new technologies to improve competitiveness and reach new customers. Distribution networks, including retail, logistics, and warehousing, adapted to these developments in a myriad of ways. In particular:

• In retail supply chains, the pandemic highlighted the limits of longstanding global supply chain practices such as just-in-time inventory management, with firms shifting to focus on supply chain resiliency and increasing transparency;
• In e-commerce, global e-commerce marketplace platforms have increasingly allowed small and medium-sized enterprises to reach foreign customers, driven by advances in digital technology;
• In logistics, innovation (including adoption of data analytics and tracking technologies) and new business models helped the industry improve efficiency competitiveness; and
• In warehousing, increased demand led to rapid growth in the sector while highlighting labor issues such as high turnover, labor availability issues, and injuries.

Pandemic-related disruptions also led to recent developments in transportation services, including maritime shipping, ports, trucking and rail, air cargo, and express delivery via drone.

• In maritime shipping, increased demand for sea freight led to record profitability for carriers and increased government scrutiny of the industry.
• In port services, congestion resulted in increased wait times, delays, and costs at ports, while spurring investment in port expansion and automation, but delays and prices have fallen sharply since late 2022.
• In trucking and rail, the pandemic exacerbated longstanding labor issues in these networks, which are vital in connecting consumers to global supply chains.
• In air cargo, passenger air travel was disrupted during the pandemic, decreasing air cargo capacity, while the entry of new air cargo providers in the sector led to increased competition.
• In express delivery via drone, the market remained small and was developing slowly, but firms continue to pilot new drone delivery projects.

The USITC hosted its 16th annual Services Roundtable, which was held virtually, on November 2, 2022. The discussion, summarized in the report, focused on recent global economic and political shocks, including the COVID-19 pandemic and trade policy uncertainty, as well as the impact of these shocks on distribution services.

Recent Trends in U.S. Services Trade, 2023 Annual Report (Investigation No. 332-594, USITC publication 5431, May 2023) is available on the USITC's Internet site at https://usitc.gov/publications/332/pub5431.pdf. The link to the interactive dashboard is:  https://www.usitc.gov/publications/industry_econ_analysis_332/2023/recent_trends_us_services_trade_2023_annual_report.

 

About factfinding investigations: USITC general factfinding investigations, such as this one, cover matters related to tariffs, trade, and competitiveness and are generally conducted under section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930 at the request of the U.S. Trade Representative, the House Committee on Ways and Means, or the Senate Committee on Finance. The resulting reports convey the Commission’s objective findings and independent analyses on the subjects investigated. The Commission makes no recommendations on policy or other matters in its general factfinding reports. Upon completion of each investigation, the USITC submits its findings and analyses to the requester. General factfinding investigation reports are subsequently released to the public unless they are classified by the requester for national security reasons.

March 15, 2023
News Release 23-024
Inv. No(s). 332-591
Contact: Elizabeth Nesbitt, 202-205-1819

Additional U.S. tariffs imposed under section 232 on imports of steel and aluminum products and under section 301 on certain imports from China reduced U.S. imports of these products and increased U.S. production and prices of these products, affecting the many industries that produce or sell these products or use them as inputs, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) in a report released today.

The report, Economic Impact of Section 232 and 301 Tariffs on U.S. Industries, was prepared in response to a direction by the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations in an explanatory statement accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, enacted on March 15, 2022. 

As directed by the explanatory statement, the USITC, an independent, nonpartisan, factfinding federal agency, conducted a retrospective analysis of any tariffs imposed under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 and under section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 that were active as of March 15, 2022. These actions included section 232 tariffs imposed on certain steel and aluminum products beginning in March 2018 and section 301 tariffs imposed on thousands of products imported from China beginning in July 2018. The explanatory statement directed that the report focus on the effects on trade, production, and prices in the industries directly and most affected.

The report includes: 

• A description of the statutory provisions and recent actions under sections 232 and 301, including the major findings from the U.S. investigations that led to imposition of the tariffs. 
• A description of the status and chronologies of tariffs under sections 232 and 301 as of March 15, 2022. 
• A review of recent trade, production, and price trends in the directly and most affected industries. 
• An economic analysis of the effects of these tariffs on the directly and most affected industries.

The report finds that on average from 2018 to 2021: 

U.S. importers bore nearly the full cost of these tariffs because import prices increased at the same rate as the tariffs. The USITC estimated that prices increased by about 1 percent for each 1 percent increase in the tariffs under sections 232 and 301.

Section 232 tariffs reduced imports of affected steel products by 24 percent, increased the price of steel products in the United States by 2.4 percent, and increased U.S. production of steel products by 1.9 percent. U.S. production of steel was $1.3 billion higher in 2021 due to section 232 tariffs.  

Section 232 tariffs reduced imports of affected aluminum products by 31 percent, increased the price of aluminum products in the United States by 1.6 percent, and increased U.S. production of aluminum products by 3.6 percent. U.S. production of aluminum was $0.9 billion higher in 2021 due to section 232 tariffs. 

Section 232 increased domestic sourcing, and reduced production in downstream industries in the United States that use steel and aluminum products as inputs because of increased prices, although the magnitude of those effects varied across industries. Section 232 tariffs increased prices in downstream industries 0.2 percent on average, and decreased production in downstream industries 0.6 percent on average. U.S. production in downstream industries was $3.5 billion less in 2021 due to section 232 tariffs. 

Across all affected sectors, section 301 tariffs reduced imports from China by 13 percent, increased the value of U.S. production by 0.4 percent, and increased the price of U.S. products by 0.2 percent. 

In specific sectors, effects of section 301 tariffs varied. For example, section 301 duties reduced imports of computer equipment by 5 percent, increased the price of computer equipment in the U.S. by 0.8 percent, and increased the value of U.S. production of computer equipment by 1.2 percent. The section 301 tariffs reduced imports of semiconductors by 72.3 percent, increased the price of semiconductors in the U.S. by 4.1 percent, and increased the value of U.S. production of semiconductors by 6.4 percent.

Consistent with the explanatory statement’s direction to estimate effects in industries directly and most affected, the report estimates the effects of 232 tariffs on the U.S. steel and aluminum industries and downstream industries that intensively consume steel and aluminum and the effects of section 301 tariffs on industries in the United States that produce the products subject to 301 tariffs. In view of the one-year timeframe for the report’s completion, the report does not include estimated effects of section 301 tariffs on downstream industries that consume products subject to 301 tariffs or on industries beyond those directly and most affected. The estimates concern effects on trade, production, and prices. The report does not estimate the tariffs’ effects on other factors, for example, investment or their contribution to the national security or intellectual property protection concerns that led to the tariffs’ imposition. The analysis focuses on short-term effects during 2018 to 2021 and does not address long-term effects as it is not a forward-looking analysis. The report is not an assessment of the complete, economy-wide impacts of the tariffs under sections 232 and 301 and cannot be used to draw broad conclusions about whether the tariffs under sections 232 and 301 did or did not produce a net benefit for the U.S. economy overall. The analysis in this report is, by design, not intended to address those questions.

Economic Impact of Section 232 and 301 Tariffs on U.S. Industries (Investigation No. 332-591, USITC Publication 5405, March 2023) is available on the USITC's Internet site at https://www.usitc.gov/sites/default/files/publications/332/pub5405.pdf.

 

About factfinding investigations: USITC general factfinding investigations, such as this one, cover matters related to tariffs, trade, and competitiveness and are generally conducted under section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930 at the request of the U.S. Trade Representative, the House Committee on Ways and Means, the Senate Committee on Finance, or either branch of the Congress. The resulting reports convey the Commission’s objective findings and independent analyses on the subjects investigated. The Commission makes no recommendations on policy or other matters in its general factfinding reports. Upon completion of each investigation, the USITC submits its findings and analyses to the requester. General factfinding investigation reports are subsequently released to the public unless they are classified by the requester for national security reasons.

December 2, 2022
News Release 22-133
Inv. No(s). 103-033
Contact: Jennifer Andberg, 202-205-1819

A proposed modification to the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) rules of origin for certain fabrics of triacetate filament yarns is likely to have a negligible effect on U.S. imports and U.S. exports, reports the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) in its publication Certain Fabrics of Triacetate Filament Yarns: Effect of Modification to U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement Rules of Origin (Inv. no. FTA-103-033).

The USITC, an independent, nonpartisan, factfinding federal agency, produced the report at the request of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).

As requested, the report provides advice on the probable economic effect of the proposed modification to the KORUS rules of origin on U.S. trade under the agreement, on total U.S. trade, and on domestic production of the affected articles. The proposed modification, detailed in the USTR's request letter, covers the following heading of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS):

• Certain fabrics (under HTS heading 5408) of textured and non-textured triacetate filament yarns (under HTS subheading 5403.33)

The proposed modification to the rules of origin would liberalize the current rules of origin by allowing woven fabrics of artificial filament yarn made in Korea or the United States to be eligible for preferential treatment under KORUS when made with non-originating triacetate yarn. However, U.S. imports of and demand for the affected articles is small. Thus, the likely effect of the proposed modification on imports under KORUS and on total U.S. imports of these products is negligible.

There would be little to no effect on U.S. production or exports of the affected articles because there are no known domestic producers of the articles directly affected by the proposed modification.

Certain Fabrics of Triacetate Filament Yarns: Effect of Modification to U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement Rules of Origin (Inv. FTA-103-033, USITC publication 5383, November 2022) is available at https://www.usitc.gov/publications/332/pub5383.pdf.

November 14, 2022
News Release 22-123
Inv. No(s). 332-587
Contact: Jennifer Andberg, 202-205-1819

The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) today released a report cataloging information on the distributional effects of trade and trade policy on underrepresented and underserved communities.

The investigation, Distributional Effects of Trade and Trade Policy on U.S. Workers (Inv. No. 332-587), was requested by the U.S. Trade Representative in a letter received on October 14, 2021.

As requested, the USITC, an independent nonpartisan factfinding federal agency, gathered information through roundtable discussions among representatives of underrepresented or underserved communities, a symposium focused on academic and similar research on the distributional effects of trade and trade policy, and a review of economic literature on this topic. The Commission also accepted written submissions and conducted a public hearing in connection with the investigation.

The information in this report includes, but is not limited to:

• a summary of seven roundtable discussions in which participants discussed their perspectives and experiences of the impact of trade, trade policy, and other events on underserved and underrepresented communities;
• a catalogue of information collected through written submissions and a public hearing held to supplement the roundtables;
• a critical review and detailed assessment of academic and policy research examining the distributional effects of trade, which identifies gaps in the data and literature, and indicates where improvements to the coverage of and access to datasets could improve analysis of the distributional effects on underrepresented or underserved communities; and
• an overview of a two-day academic symposium where participants discussed the methodologies and data gaps involved in researching distributional trade effects, as well as relevant research underway on these effects globally.

Detailed highlights of the Commission’s findings can be found in the report’s Executive Summary.

 

USITC general factfinding investigations cover matters related to tariffs or trade and are generally conducted at the request of the U.S. Trade Representative, the House Committee on Ways and Means, or the Senate Committee on Finance. The resulting reports convey the Commission's objective findings and independent analyses on the subjects investigated. The Commission makes no recommendations on policy or other matters in its general factfinding reports. Upon completion of each investigation, the USITC submits its findings and analyses to the requester. General factfinding investigation reports are subsequently released to the public, unless they are classified by the requester for national security reasons.

October 28, 2022
News Release 22-117
Inv. No(s). 332-593
Contact: Jennifer Andberg, 202-205-1819

The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) is undertaking a new factfinding investigation on Pacific Island trade and investment with the United States, including impediments to and opportunities for increased goods and services exports to the United States and U.S. investment in the Pacific Islands.

The investigation, U.S.-Pacific Islands Trade and Investment: Impediments and Opportunities, Inv. No. 332-593, was requested by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) in a letter received on September 29, 2022.

As requested, the USITC, an independent, nonpartisan, factfinding federal agency, will prepare a public report for the USTR. The report will provide, to the extent practicable:

• an overview of the Pacific Island economies, including major sectors in production, consumption, trade, and employment.
• a description of goods and services exports from the Pacific Islands during the period 2017–21, and identification of major factors that impact those exports to the United States.
• a description of the use of the U.S. General System of Preferences (GSP) program by the Pacific Island countries and identification of the goods from the Pacific Islands that enter the United States under GSP, sectors in which these programs might be underutilized, and factors affecting utilization of GSP.
• a description of foreign investment in the Pacific Islands during the period 2017-21; and identification of major factors affecting investment from the United States.
• identification of major products (including goods covered by the GSP program) and services in the Pacific Islands with greatest potential for export sales to the United States, sectors with U.S. investment potential, and the factors that impede trade and investment with the United States for these products and sectors using qualitative analysis and, to the extent data are available, quantitative analysis.
• a description of initiatives and/or technical assistance that could address such trade and investment impediments, if found during the Commission’s research.

The USITC expects to submit its report to the USTR by September 29, 2023.

The USITC will hold a public hearing in connection with the investigation at 9:30 a.m. on February 14, 2023. A link to the hearing will be posted on the Commission’s website at https://www.usitc.gov/calendarpad/calendar.html.

Requests to appear at the hearing should be filed no later than 5:15 p.m. on January 31, 2023, with the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. See below for important information regarding filing a request to appear at a USITC hearing.

The USITC also welcomes written submissions for the record. Written submissions should be addressed to the Secretary of the Commission and should be submitted no later than 5:15 p.m. on April 17, 2023. All written submissions, except for confidential business information, will be available for public inspection. See below for important information regarding the filing of written submissions for USITC investigations.

IMPORTANT:  All filings to appear at the hearing and written submissions must be made through the Commission’s Electronic Document Information System (EDIS, https://edis.usitc.gov). No in-person paper-based filings or paper copies of any electronic filings will be accepted until further notice. Persons with questions regarding electronic filing should contact the Office of the Secretary, Docket Services Division (EDIS3Help@USITC.gov), or consult the Commission’s Handbook on Filing Procedures.

Further information on the scope of the investigation is available in the USITC’s notice of investigation, dated October 28, 2022, which can be downloaded from the USITC Internet site (www.usitc.gov) or may be obtained by contacting the Office of the Secretary at or may be obtained by contacting the Office of the Secretary at commissionhearings@usitc.gov.  

 

About these investigations: USITC general factfinding investigations, such as these, cover matters related to tariffs or trade and are generally conducted under section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930 at the request of the U.S. Trade Representative, the House Committee on Ways and Means, or the Senate Committee on Finance. The resulting reports convey the Commission’s objective findings and independent analyses on the subjects investigated. The Commission makes no recommendations on policy or other matters in its general factfinding reports. Upon completion of each investigation, the USITC submits its findings and analyses to the requester. General factfinding investigation reports are subsequently released to the public unless they are classified by the requester for national security reasons.

August 29, 2022
News Release 22-093
Inv. No(s). 332-345
Contact: Jennifer Andberg, 202-205-1819

The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) today released The Year in Trade 2021 (Inv. No. 332-345), its annual overview of developments regarding the operation of the U.S. trade agreements program for 2021.

The USITC's The Year in Trade is one of the government's most comprehensive reports available regarding activities related to U.S. trade policies, agreements, and trade laws. This report is the 73rd in a series of annual reports submitted to the U.S. Congress under section 163(c) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2213(c)) and its predecessor legislation.

The publication reviews U.S. international trade laws and actions under these laws, activities of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and developments regarding U.S. free trade agreements (FTAs), FTA negotiations, and U.S. bilateral trade relations with major trading partners in 2021.

In addition to discussion on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain disruptions on international trade, topics covered in The Year in Trade 2021 include:

• U.S. antidumping, countervailing duty, safeguard, intellectual property rights infringement, national security, and section 301 cases active in 2021;
• amendments to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, and the operation of U.S. trade preference programs, including the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences, the African Growth and Opportunity Act, the Nepal Trade Preferences Act, and the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, including initiatives for Haiti;
• WTO dispute settlement decisions and other significant activities in the WTO and initiatives under the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum;
• implementation and enforcement matters under the United States-Canada-Mexico Agreement and other U.S. FTAs in effect; and
• bilateral trade issues with selected major U.S. trading partners -- the European Union, Mexico, Canada, China, Japan, the United Kingdom, and India.

The report also provides an overview of U.S. trade in goods and services during 2021. Statistical tables highlight U.S. bilateral trade with major trading partners and trade under U.S. trade preference programs and FTAs.

The Year in Trade 2021 (USITC Publication 5349, August 2022) will be posted on the USITC's Internet site at https://www.usitc.gov/publications/332/pub5349.pdf.   

A set of interactive, web-based presentations of underlying data is also available at:

• Interactive dashboard: https://www.usitc.gov/publications/332/yit_2021_interactive_dashboard
• Interactive Exchange Rate figure: https://www.usitc.gov/publications/332/yit_2021_interactive_exchange_rate
• Trade Balance: https://www.usitc.gov/publications/332/yit_2021_interactive_dashboard
• Sector: https://www.usitc.gov/publications/332/yit_2021_sector

August 4, 2022
News Release 22-085
Inv. No(s). 332-592
Contact: Jennifer Andberg, 202-205-1819

The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) is seeking input for a new factfinding investigation on the USMCA automotive rules of origin (ROOs) and their impact on the U.S. economy, their effect on the competitiveness of U.S. automotive production and trade, and their relevancy in light of technology changes.

The Commission instituted the investigation, USMCA Automotive Rules of Origin: Economic Impact and Operation, 2023 Report (Inv. No. 332-592), for the purpose of preparing the first of five reports for the President and the House Committee on Ways and Means and Senate Committee on Finance as required by section 202A(g)(2) of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act.

As required, the USITC, an independent, nonpartisan, factfinding federal agency, will examine the USMCA automotive ROOs and their impact on the United States in an investigation and produce a report. The report will provide information on:

1. the economic impact of the USMCA automotive ROOs on U.S. gross domestic product, trade, employment, and consumers, as well as the economic impact on production, investment, capacity, revenues, wages, and employment in U.S. automotive industries;
2. the operation of the USMCA automotive ROOs and their effect on the competitiveness of U.S. automotive production and trade;
3. the relevancy of the USMCA automotive ROOs in light of recent technology changes in the United States; and
4. other matters the Commission considers relevant to the economic impact of the USMCA automotive ROOs.

The USITC expects to submit its first report to the President and the appropriate Congressional committees no later than Friday, June 30, 2023. The Commission is directed to submit reports on the USMCA automotive ROOs every two years thereafter until 2031.

The USITC will hold a public hearing in connection with the investigation at 9:30 a.m. on November 3, 2022. Information about how to participate in the hearing will be posted on the Commission’s website no later than September 26, 2022, at https://usitc.gov/research_and_analysis/what_we_are_working_on.htm.

Requests to appear at the hearing should be filed no later than 5:15 p.m. on September 30, 2022, with the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436.  See below for important information regarding filing a request to appear at a USITC hearing.

The USITC also welcomes written submissions for the record.  Written submissions should be addressed to the Secretary to the Commission and should be submitted no later than 5:15 p.m. on November 24, 2022. All written submissions, except for confidential business information, will be available for public inspection.  See below for important information regarding the filing of written submissions for USITC investigations.

IMPORTANT:  All filings to appear at the hearing and written submissions must be made through the Commission’s Electronic Document Information System (EDIS, https://edis.usitc.gov). No in-person paper-based filings or paper copies of any electronic filings will be accepted until further notice. Persons with questions regarding electronic filing should contact the Office of the Secretary, Docket Services Division (EDIS3Help@usitc.gov), or consult the Commission’s Handbook on Filing Procedures.

Further information on the scope of the investigation and appropriate submissions is available in the USITC’s notice of investigation, dated August 4, 2022, which can be  downloaded from the USITC Internet site (www.usitc.gov) or may be obtained by contacting the Office of the Secretary at commissionhearings@usitc.gov.

USITC general factfinding investigations, such as this one, cover matters related to tariffs or trade and are generally conducted at the request of the U.S. Trade Representative, the House Committee on Ways and Means, or the Senate Committee on Finance. The resulting reports convey the Commission’s objective findings and independent analyses on the subjects investigated. The Commission makes no recommendations on policy or other matters in its general factfinding reports. Upon completion of each investigation, the USITC submits its findings and analyses to the requester. General factfinding investigation reports are subsequently released to the public unless they are classified by the requester for national security reasons.