ITA Program Tackles Trade Obstacles

March 4, 2013
Beverly Vaughan is the Director of the International Trade Administration’s Trade Compliance Center.

The International Trade Administration’s (ITA) Trade Agreements Compliance (TAC) Program works to break down barriers to market access abroad and monitors and helps promote foreign government compliance with trade agreement obligations. TAC Program officers identify, investigate, and resolve trade barriers working with industry. By leveraging relevant trade agreements, ITA engages foreign governments to remove or mitigate barriers to trade as quickly as possible.

While all U.S. exporters or investors can use this free service to resolve their market access barriers, the TAC Program can be particularly valuable for small and medium-sized exporters (SMEs), who may lack the resources to combat such barriers.

Exporters and investors can report a barrier on-line to get help quickly from the program. View a TAC Program client success video to learn how to use the online reporting form and see how we assisted a small business exporter overcome barriers preventing it from accessing the Chinese market. Our actions helped to preserve a contract valued at $8.5 million and set a precedent that helps ensure that the full benefits of our international trade agreements are open to U.S. industry.

This company, Klinge Corporation of York, Pennsylvania, contacted the TAC Program’s Hotline after holding unproductive meetings with Chinese freight forwarders and customs officers. TAC Program officers worked with China’s Certification and Accreditation Administration, who intervened on Klinge’s behalf, emphasizing China’s World Trade Organization obligations with other Chinese officials.  In a matter of months after the initial contact with the TAC Program, Klinge obtained the necessary certification to access the Chinese market.

This successful operation isn’t an exception. In Fiscal Year 2012, ITA initiated 227 trade barrier investigations in more than 70 countries, of which 44 percent (100 cases) were on behalf of SMEs like Klinge. During that time, TAC Program officers closed 168 cases in 62 countries, 53 percent of which (89 cases) were closed successfully.  See how ITA has helped U.S. companies overcome foreign trade barriers.

Can the TCC help you overcome a trade barrier? Let us know if you are having trouble getting access to a foreign market.