The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) today released The Year in Trade 2012, its annual overview of the previous year's trade-related activities.

The USITC's The Year in Trade is one of the government's most comprehensive reports of U.S. trade-related activities, covering major multilateral, regional, and bilateral developments. 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 2012.

The Year in Trade 2012 includes complete listings of antidumping, countervailing duty, safeguard, intellectual property rights infringement, and section 301 cases undertaken by the U.S. government in 2012. In addition, the 2012 report covers:

• the operation of U.S. trade preference programs, including the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences, the African Growth and Opportunity Act, the Andean Trade Preference Act, and the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, including initiatives for Haiti.

   

   

• significant activities in the WTO, including dispute settlement decisions and Russia's WTO accession; the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development; and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum;

   

   

• overviews of the entry into force of U.S. free trade agreements with Colombia, Korea, and Panama;

   

   

• developments regarding the North American Free Trade Agreement, other U.S. FTAs, and the negotiation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement;

   

   

• bilateral trade issues with major U.S. trading partners-the European Union, Canada, China, Mexico, Japan, Korea, Brazil, Taiwan, India, and Russia.

   

The report also provides an overview of U.S. trade in goods and services during 2012. Statistical tables highlight U.S. bilateral trade with major trading partners and trade under U.S. trade preference programs.

The Year in Trade 2012 (USITC Publication 4416, July 2012) will be posted on the USITC's Internet site at http://www.usitc.gov/publications/332/4416.pdf. The report also is expected to be available at federal depository libraries in the United States and at offices of the U.S. Information Agency abroad.

In addition, the USITC is disseminating this report, as well as previous Year in Trade reports covering the years 2009-2011, on CD-ROM. The CD-ROM may be requested by email at pubrequest@usitc.gov or by writing the Office of the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. Requests may also be faxed to 202-205-2104. A printed copy of The Year in Trade 2012 may be requested through the same channels.