The Interagency Center for Trade Implementation, Monitoring, and Enforcement (ICTIME) was established pursuant to the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 to enhance the U.S. government’s international trade agreement enforcement. It is the successor to the Interagency Trade Enforcement Center (ITEC) established by executive order in 2012 by President Obama to take a “whole-of-government” approach to monitoring and enforcing Americans’ trade rights around the world.
ICTIME helps to ensure that America’s trading partners abide by their obligations, including by maintaining open markets on a non-discriminatory basis, and by following rules-based procedures in a transparent way. ICTIME uses expertise from across the federal government to assert U.S. trade rights obtained through various international trade agreements. Full-time USTR staff and personnel from contributing agencies form an expanded team of experienced trade litigators, language-proficient researchers, subject matter experts, and economic analysts who can help to increase engagement with foreign trade partners at the World Trade Organization, under bilateral and regional trade agreements, and domestic trade law to enhance the use of trade enforcement authorities when necessary.
ICTIME is led by a Director designated by the United States Trade Representative.
Participating agencies have included the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Labor, State, and Treasury, as well as the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the International Trade Commission, and the Small Business Administration.
The Trade Facilitation and Enforcement Act of 2015 can be found here.
