Legal Definitions - International Trade Commission

The International Trade Commission (ITC) is an independentfederal agency of the United States government that investigates and makes recommendations concerning the impact of imports on domestic industries. It was established in 1916 and is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

The ITC has the power to investigateunfair trade practices, such as dumping and subsidies, and to impose remedies such as tariffs and quotas. It also conducts investigations into intellectual property disputes, including patent infringement and trademark infringement.

For example, if a U.S. company believes that a foreign company is selling products in the U.S. at unfairly low prices, it can file a complaint with the ITC. The ITC will investigate the complaint and determine whether the foreign company is engaging in unfair trade practices. If the ITC finds that the foreign company is indeed engaging in unfair trade practices, it can impose tariffs or other remedies to level the playing field for U.S. companies.

Another example is if a U.S. company believes that a foreign company is infringing on its patents or trademarks, it can file a complaint with the ITC. The ITC will investigate the complaint and determine whether the foreign company is indeed infringing on the U.S. company's intellectual property. If the ITC finds that the foreign company is indeed infringing on the U.S. company's intellectual property, it can issue an exclusion order, which prohibits the importation of the infringing products into the U.S.