International Trade Commission, United States, is an independent agency of the United States government. The chief function of the commission is to determine whether imports are injuring a domestic industry. It also investigates and reports on tariff and foreign trade matters at the request of the President or the Congress.
The commission studies the ways customs laws operate and analyzes conditions of competition between United States and foreign industries. The commission examines import records, claims of unfair competition in import trade, and the possible effects of proposed trade agreements.
The commission was established in 1916 as the U.S. Tariff Commission. It was given its present name in 1975. Six commissioners head the agency. They are appointed to overlapping nine-year terms by the President with the approval of the Senate.
