Office of Chief Counsel
for International Commerce

The Office of Chief Counsel for International Commerce (OCC-IC) is responsible for legal matters related to the promotion of U.S. trade and investment and the competitiveness of domestic firms abroad. OCC-IC provides legal advice to the Under Secretary for International Trade Administration (ITA) and the following components of ITA: U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service, Manufacturing and Services, and Market Access and Compliance. In carrying out its mission, OCC-IC performs the following functions:

1. Provides legal advice in the negotiation, implementation, interpretation, and enforcement of international commercial agreements, including:

• Bilateral and multilateral trade agreements (such as the World Trade Organization and NAFTA)
• Bilateral investment treaties
• Multilateral agreements on bribery in international business transactions.

2. Provides legal counsel with respect to:

• Monitoring compliance with international trade and investment agreements to which the United States is a party
• Export promotion activities (including trade shows, trade missions, and other export development activities)
• Implementation of U.S. trade laws (except antidumping and countervailing duty laws)
• Implementation of Title III of the Export Trading Company Act of 1982
• Advocacy support for U.S. companies competing for overseas projects
• Implementation of the Exon-Florio Amendment on foreign investment in the United States.

3. Provides advice generally on other international agreements, laws, regulations, and commercial practices in foreign countries and the United States affecting trade and investment, including domestic statutes (except anti-dumping and countervailing duty laws), investment, standards, intellectual property rights, government procurement, antitrust and competition policy, international taxation, trade finance, foreign business practices, bribery and corrupt payments, and international dispute settlement.

4. Provides informal advice to U.S. businesses and attorneys in the private sector on all of the above matters with the aim of developing and promoting U.S. competitiveness in international trade and investment.

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