ITC Funding Flat, USTR Funding Down, ITA Up Including Fees

March 4, 2024 by Mara Lee|Congress

Funding for the next seven months for the trade-related divisions of the Commerce Department will be down slightly, though fees may more than make up the difference at the International Trade Administration, if projections are accurate. These are considerations as Congress eyes finalizing an appropriations bill by the end of the workweek.

Funding for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative will be $2 million less than in the previous fiscal year, and the International Trade Commission's funding is basically flat, with $122 million, compared with $122.4 million last fiscal year. The ITC had asked for $131 million to keep up with inflation and hire more staffers, arguing that there were vacancy rates as high as 25% in some offices, and that they need more than 40 more employees.

The International Trade Administration will receive $623 million, including $12 million in estimated fee collections. The summary of the appropriations bill, which is expected to pass Congress before the continuing resolution ends at the end of the night March 8, asks for reports on a number of topics within 180 days of passage, such as:

detailing enforcement actions against illegal vapes from China, including the volume of products seized at ports of entry, civil monetary penalties and civil and criminal cases
descriptions of Foreign Commercial Service operations in Pacific Island nations, and proposals for increasing U.S. business and investment in the region
ways to increase economic engagement with Ukraine, including "ITA programs that could be harnessed to assist with Ukraine's agricultural sector while enhancing U.S. export competitiveness"
Foreign Commercial Service coordination with the State Department to help Belt and Road client countries resist Chinese economic coercion.

USTR will receive $74 million. The bill summary said that members encourage "USTR to increase transparency and consistency in its section 301 exclusion process and to make the process less cumbersome to navigate, especially for small- and medium-sized businesses."