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Records of the United States International Trade Commission [USITC]

(Record Group 81)
1882-1971 (bulk 1909-71)

Table of Contents

• 81.1 Administrative History
• 81.2 Records of the Tariff Commission 1882
• 81.3 Records of the Tariff Board 1909-12
• 81.4 Records of the Cost of Production Division of the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce 1915-16
• 81.5 Records of the U.S. Tariff Commission 1914-71
• 81.6 Cartographic Records (General)
  

81.1 Administrative History

Established: As an independent agency by the Trade Act of 1974 (88 Stat. 2009), January 3, 1975.

Predecessor Agencies:

• Tariff Commission, Department of the Treasury (1882)
• Tariff Board (1909-12)
• Cost of Production Division, Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, Department of Commerce (1913-16)
• U.S. Tariff Commission (1916-74)

Functions: Researches and investigates foreign trade and tariffs.

Related Records: Record copies of publications of the U.S. International Trade Commission in RG 287, Publications of the U.S. Government.

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81.2 Records of the Tariff Commission
1882

History: Appointed pursuant to an act of May 15, 1882 (22 Stat. 64), by President Chester A. Arthur. Assigned to the Treasury Department, June 1882, to investigate U.S. agriculture, commerce, manufacturing, mining, and industry; and to recommend tariff legislation. Reported December 1882.

Textual Records: Letters received by the President concerning the commission and the appointment of commissioners, May-June 1882. Correspondence between the commission president and the Treasury Department, June-December 1882.

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81.3 Records of the Tariff Board
1909-12

History: Appointed under the Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act (36 Stat. 11), August 5, 1909, to collect information useful in administering tariff laws. Abolished June 30, 1912.

Textual Records: Reports of meetings and hearings, correspondence relating to board organization, and general correspondence, 1909- 12. Records relating to investigations of foreign tariff laws and tariff discrimination, 1909-10. Records relating to cost-of-production studies, 1910-12.

Specific Restrictions: As specified by the U.S. Congress (39 Stat. 798 and 46 Stat. 701), information on trade secrets and processes contained in the general files of the Tariff Board may not be made known in any manner whatever not provided for by law, to any person.

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81.4 Records of the Cost of Production Division of the Bureau of
Foreign and Domestic Commerce
1915-16

History: Organized May 1913, under provisions of the Appropriation Act (37 Stat. 407), August 23, 1912, establishing the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, to continue certain of the information-gathering functions of the Tariff Board. Superseded by the U.S. Tariff Commission, 1916. See 81.5.

Textual Records: Working papers and studies, 1915-16.

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81.5 Records of the U.S. Tariff Commission
1914-71

History: Established by the Revenue Act (39 Stat. 795), September 8, 1916. Name changed to U.S. International Trade Commission, 1975. See 81.1.

Textual Records: Minutes of commission meetings and hearings, 1917-70 (98 microfiche). Extracts of minutes of commission meetings relating to personnel and administrative matters, 1941-55. Microfilm copy of general correspondence, 1921-39 (104 rolls), including commodity investigation case files and policy and action documents, and noncommodity operations program correspondence and study files. Administrative files, 1961-65. Reports on trade, trade restrictions, trade agreements, and foreign countries, 1922-53. Reports on essential defense commodity production and trade, 1938-45. Microfilm copy of Statistical Division reports on imports, 1930-38 (39 rolls). Records of a study of free ports, 1917-19. Records received from courts pertaining to tariff acts, 1922-32. Press releases, 1930-57. Annual reports, 1930-57. Publications of defense and wartime agencies, 1941-43. Docketed case files and other records relating to surveys of the production of various commodities and to commission investigations, 1914-71. Trade agreement digests, 1946-48. Records relating to tariff schedule revisions, 1930-63. Records of the Planning and Review Committee, including memorandums, 1941-52; and minutes, 1941-50.

Specific Restrictions: Some records described above are subject to restrictions specified by the U.S. Congress and the USITC. Please consult the National Archives for details.

Maps: Mexico and Central America, 1943 (1 item). Three-mile legal limits of U.S. territorial waters, 1930 (27 items).

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81.6 Cartographic Records (General)

See Maps under 81.5.

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Bibliographic note: Web version based on Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives of the United States. Compiled by Robert B. Matchette et al. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1995.
3 volumes, 2428 pages.

Ordering information

This Web version is updated from time to time to include records processed since 1995.

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