The United States International Trade Commission ( USITC or I.T.C. ) is an agency of the United States federal government that advises the legislative and executive branches on matters of trade. It is an independent, bipartisan entity that analyzes trade issues such as tariffs and competitiveness and publishes reports. As a quasi-judicial entity, the USITC investigates the impact of imports on U.S. industries, and directs actions against unfair trade practices, such as subsidies ; dumping ; and intellectual property infringement , including copyright infringement .
27-584: The USITC was established by the U.S. Congress on September 8, 1916, as the U.S. Tariff Commission. In 1974, the name was changed to the U.S. International Trade Commission by section 171 of the Trade Act of 1974 . Statutory authority for the USITC's responsibilities is provided by the following legislation: The U.S. International Trade Commission seeks to: In so doing, the Commission serves
54-469: A bulb flash . The design required a new zinc-carbon cell size; AAA was introduced. In 1964, the term "Duracell" was introduced as a brand, from "durable cell". Until 1980, the batteries also bore the Mallory brand. P. R. Mallory was acquired by Dart Industries in 1978, which in turn, merged with Kraft in 1980. Kohlberg Kravis Roberts bought Duracell in 1988 and took the company public in 1989. It
81-603: A Section 337 Tariff Act complaint has at least three votes from its six Commissioners, an official investigative hearing will be assigned to an administrative law judge. Several dozen new USITC investigations are filed every year. Judicial review is normally exercised by the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit . After the parties have had the opportunity to conduct fact and expert discovery to develop their respective legal positions,
108-593: A large group of legislation passed during the Progressive Era in the early 1900s, U.S. Congress established the United States Tariff Commission in 1916, which had a purpose to apply scientific principles to the study of tariffs and to assist in recommending appropriate tariff levels. Frank Taussig , then an Economics professor at Harvard University , was named the U.S. Tariff Commission's very first chairman. The first offices of
135-779: A long-term partnership deal with Williams Racing . The deal culminated with the vertical air intake of the car designed like a Duracell battery, which was first introduced in the 2022 Miami Grand Prix . The design was later implemented on the Williams FW45 for the 2023 season . Duracell also became the title sponsor of William Racing's eNASCAR team as Duracell Williams Esports eNASCAR. Duracell manufactures alkaline batteries in many common sizes , such as AAA , AA , C , D , and 9V . Lesser-used sizes such as AAAA (primarily for pagers , penlights , and blood glucose meters) and J size batteries (for hospital devices and photographic strobe flash units) are also manufactured and
162-465: A range of " button cells " using zinc-air, silver-oxide, and lithium chemistries, used in calculators , watches , hearing aids , and other small (mostly medical-related) devices. Duracell entered into a brand licensing agreement with flash memory manufacturer Dane-Elec in 2008 for a line of products including memory cards , hard drives and USB flash drives with the Duracell brand mark and in
189-749: A wider restructuring scheme. On November 14, 2014, Berkshire Hathaway declared its intent to acquire Duracell in an all-stock deal, consisting of $ 4.7 billion worth of P&G stock then owned by Berkshire Hathaway. The acquisition received regulatory approval from the European Commission in July 2015. The transfer was completed on February 29, 2016, with P&G investing $ 1.8 billion in cash into Duracell, and Berkshire Hathaway giving P&G back 52 million shares. In September 2016, Duracell announced plans to move its executive team and 60 employees to Chicago . In February 2022, Duracell announced
216-424: Is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway since 2016. The company has its origins in the 1920s, through the work of Samuel Ruben and Philip Mallory , and the formation of the P. R. Mallory Company . Through a number of corporate mergers and acquisitions, Duracell came to be owned by the consumer products conglomerate Procter & Gamble (P&G). In November 2014, P&G reached an agreement to sell
243-586: The Administrative Procedure Act . Section 337 decisions were also made final, instead of advisory (although subject to presidential disapproval due to policy reasons), and the USITC was also authorized to issue cease and desist orders in addition to exclusion orders. In 1988, the USITC moved its quarters from the Old Post Office Building to the building it remains in to this day, 500 E Street SW. Past commissioners of
270-635: The Sony Pictures Entertainment hack revealed the MPAA's lobbying of the USITC to mandate US ISPs either at the internet transit level or consumer level internet service provider , implement IP address blocking against pirate websites as well as linking websites. In January 2016, it became known that the commission was charged with investigating the likely impact of the TPP on the U.S. economy and specific industries. It will calculate
297-490: The carbon-zinc batteries used then in virtually all applications. In 1956, P. R. Mallory & Co. acquired General Dry Batteries, Inc. (GDB) with headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio . GDB was then the third-largest U. S. manufacturer of zinc-carbon batteries and had made mercury batteries under license from P. R. Mallory during and post World War II until its acquisition in 1956. During the 1950s, Kodak introduced cameras with
SECTION 10
#1732765200189324-516: The ALJ (administrative law judge) holds a formal, evidentiary hearing, or trial. There is no jury. About three months after considering the arguments of the parties, the ALJ renders an initial determination (ID). The full ITC reviews and may adopt, modify or reverse the ALJ's initial determination. The ITC's final determination is usually issued about four months after the ALJ's ID. The USITC can impose exclusion orders that keep violating products from entering
351-596: The GATT into the World Trade Organization (WTO). It was restored in 2002 by the Trade Act of 2002 . The Obama Administration sought renewal for fast track authority in 2012. It also gave the President broad authority to counteract injurious and unfair foreign trade practices. Duracell Duracell Inc. is an American manufacturer of alkaline batteries , specialty cells, and rechargeables ; it
378-625: The Procter & Gamble corporate umbrella, founded the Power Matters Alliance (PMA), an alliance of leading industry and governmental organizations that is dedicated to advancing smart and environmentally sound wireless power. AT&T and Starbucks joined the board later that year. In 2013, the company released a "Duracell Quantum" line as their top-performing alkaline batteries. On October 24, 2014, Procter & Gamble announced it would spin off Duracell in 2015 as part of
405-555: The U.S. Tariff Commission were located at 1322 New York Avenue, Washington D.C. Also in 1921, the U.S. Tariff Commission moved to the Old Post Office Building at 7th and E Street NW. Effective January 1, 1975, the U.S. Tariff Commission was renamed the U.S. International Trade Commission. The USITC had a number of new responsibilities under the Trade Act of 1974 , and commission procedures under Section 337 of Tariff Act of 1930 were greatly changed, and Section 337 proceedings brought before Administrative Law Judges had to now conform with
432-540: The USITC include: On January 4, 1985, a USITC decision in favor of Duracell was overturned by President Ronald Reagan . The case involved the import of alkaline batteries in competition with Duracell, the American manufacturer that developed them. On August 3, 2013, President Barack Obama overturned the commission's decision in investigation No. 337-TA-794 that would have banned Apple Inc. from importing several of its older products. In January 2015, details from
459-583: The United States and Europe under the brand name "Procell" (previously "Industrial by Duracell" and "Duracell Procell"). Two main product lines are currently sold under the Procell brand, "Procell Alkaline" and "Procell Intense Power", intended to provide longer endurance by tailoring the power profile of the batteries to the requirements of the device. "Procell Alkaline" are designed for use in low-drain applications such as clocks, and Procell Intense Power
486-485: The United States. Exclusion orders are those in which disallow products from entering the United States for sale. While the Administrative Law Judges make determinations, the final decision of relief (i.e. exclusion from import) is made by the President of the United States. Should a party disagree with the decision, appeals may be made to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. As part of
513-771: The brand's trademark "copper top" coloring. Duracell also manufactures specialty batteries, including NiMH rechargeable batteries and batteries for cameras, watches, hearing aids, etc. Their two main battery brands are "CopperTop (Plus)," marketed as longer-lasting, and "Ultra," directed mainly at users of digital devices and devices that need more power. Duracell also makes some lithium batteries and car batteries. Duracell manufactures alkaline and lithium batteries in prismatic as well as cylindrical shape. In 2006, Duracell introduced "Power Pix" batteries with NiOx technology, designed to power digital cameras and other high-drain devices for up to twice as long as alkaline batteries. Duracell's professional batteries have been sold in
540-610: The company to the international conglomeration Berkshire Hathaway through a transfer of shares. Under the deal, Berkshire Hathaway exchanged the shares it held in P&G for ownership of the Duracell business. Duracell originated via the partnership of scientist Samuel Ruben and businessman Philip Rogers Mallory, who met during the 1920s. The P. R. Mallory Company of Burlington, Massachusetts , United States, relocated its headquarters to Indianapolis, Indiana , in 1924. The company produced mercury batteries for military equipment, trumping
567-472: The estimated impact on gross domestic product, exports and imports, employment opportunities, and U.S. consumers. In January 2018, in a surprise decision, the commission unanimously overturned a 292% trade tariff that had been imposed on the aircraft manufacturer Bombardier Aerospace . Trade Act of 1974 The Trade Act of 1974 ( Pub. L. 93–618 , 88 Stat. 1978 , enacted January 3, 1975 , codified at 19 U.S.C. ch. 12 )
SECTION 20
#1732765200189594-417: The public by implementing U.S. law and contributing to the development and implementation of sound and informed U.S. trade policy. The USITC's five operations are: The president nominates and the U.S. Senate confirms the six commissioners who make up the USITC. The president and the secretary of state sign the formal commission. Commissioners ' terms are nine years, or, when filling a vacated seat, for
621-446: The remainder of a term. Their terms are staggered to end 18 months apart. Commissioners may not be reappointed at the start of a new term unless they have served less than five years, although commissioners stay on past the end of their term until their successor is appointed and confirmed. No more than three of the commissioners may be of the same political party. The chairman's term is for two years, and successive chairmen may not be of
648-404: The same political party. Only a commissioner with more than one year of service may be designated chairman. The current commissioners as of September 24, 2024: President Biden has nominated the following to fill seats on the commission. They await Senate confirmation. Although the USITC is not a court , its administrative law judges conduct trial-type official administrative hearings . If
675-476: Was acquired for $ 7 billion by The Gillette Company in 1996. In 2005, Procter & Gamble acquired Duracell's parent Gillette for $ 57 billion. In September 2011, Duracell and Powermat Technologies Ltd. started a joint venture, called Duracell Powermat, to make small wireless chargers for mobile phones and small electronics, with P&G owning 55% of the joint venture shares and Powermat 45%. In March 2012, along with Powermat Technologies, Duracell, under
702-548: Was passed to give the President more power in matters of trade agreements and tariffs. The Trade Act of 1974 created fast track authority for the President to negotiate trade agreements that Congress can approve or disapprove but cannot amend or filibuster . The Act provided the President with tariff and non-tariff trade barrier negotiating authority for the Tokyo Round of multilateral trade negotiations. Gerald Ford
729-743: Was the President at the time. The fast track authority created under the Act was set to expire in 1980, was extended for 8 years in 1979, was renewed again in 1988 until 1993 to allow for the negotiation of the Uruguay Round within the framework of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), and was again extended to 16 April 1994, a day after the Uruguay Round concluded in the Marrakesh Agreement transforming
#188811