Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade applies to jurisdiction United States of America
Leadership
The ITA was created on January 2, 1980 and is headed by the Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade (USC(IT)), the principal adviser to the Secretary of Commerce on American imports and exports. The Under Secretary is the head of the International Trade Administration within the Commerce Department.
The Under Secretary is appointed by the President of the United States with the consent of the United States Senate. The last presidential appointee was Gilbert B. Kaplan, who was nominated by President Trump for the position of Under Secretary for International Trade on April 11, 2017, and confirmed by the Senate on March 13, 2018. Gilbert Kaplan left the position in late 2019. Joseph C. Semsar is currently Acting Under Secretary.Overview
The Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade is the principal officer of the United States Department of Commerce charged with promoting American exports and assisting general international trade. As the Administrator of the International Trade Administration, the Under Secretary also sits on the board of directors of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and serves as a member of the Tourism Policy Council and the National Intellectual Property Council. The Under Secretary participates in the development of United States trade policy, identifies and resolves market access and compliance issues, administers American trade laws, and undertakes a range of trade promotion and trade advocacy efforts.
With the rank of Under Secretary, the USC(IT) is a Level III position within the Executive Schedule. Since January 2014, the annual rate of pay for Level III appointees is $167,000.