UNITED STATES COURT OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Salaries and Expenses

SUMMARY STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT REQUIREMENTS

Mandatory Discretionary Total

Total Fiscal Year 2021 Enacted Appropriation $2,083,000 $20,000,000 $22,083,000

Total Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriation Request $2,172,000 $20,675,000 $22,847,000

Total Requested Increase from Fiscal Year 2021 Enacted Appropriation $89,000 $675,000 $764,000

APPROPRIATION LANGUAGE

UNITED STATES COURT OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE

SALARIES AND EXPENSES

 For salaries of officers and employees of the court, services, and

necessary expenses of the court, as authorized by law, [$20,000,000]$20,675,000.

 In addition, there are appropriated such sums as may be necessary under

current law for the salaries of the chief judge and judges of the court.

(P.L. 116-260 - Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2021)

3.1
Fiscal Year 2022 Resource Requirements:

FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount

Fiscal Year 2021 Assumed Obligations .................................................................. 9 2,083 68 21,024 77 23,107

Utilization of Electronic Public Access Receipts and Judiciary Information Technology Fund Balances ... - - - (1,024) - (1,024)

Fiscal Year 2021 Enacted Appropriation 9 2,083 68 20,000 77 22,083

Page 

No. Adjustments to Base to Maintain Current Services:

A. Judges

Pay and Benefit Adjustments

3.9 1. Proposed 2022 pay adjustment (1.0% for nine months) ........................................................ - 53 - - - 53

3.9 2. Annualization of 2021 pay adjustment (1.0% for three months) .................................. - 24 - - - 24

3.9 3. Benefits increases

a. Health benefits................................................................................................... - 8 - - - 8 

b. FICA adjustment............................................................................................. - 4 - - - 4 

B. Personnel

Pay and Benefit Adjustments

3.10 4. Proposed 2022 pay adjustment (1.0% for nine months) ................................................... - - - 54 - 54

3.10 5. Annualization of 2021 pay adjustment (1.0% for three months) ............................ - - - 18 18

3.10 6. Promotions and within-grade increases...................................................................... - - - 54 - 54

3.10 7. Benefits increases -

a. Health benefits............................................................................................. - - - 65 - 65

b. FICA adjustment........................................................................................... - - - 3 - 3 

c. FERS adjustment........................................................................................... - - - 54 - 54

Mandatory Discretionary Total

SUMMARY OF REQUEST

UNITED STATES COURT OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE

SALARIES AND EXPENSES

FISCAL YEAR 2022

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

3.2
FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount

C. Other Adjustments

3.11 8. Inflationary increases in charges for contracts, services, supplies, and equipment................. - - - 40 - 40

3.11 9. Inflationary increase and adjustments in GSA space rental costs........................................ - - - 205 - 205

3.12 - - - 182 - 182

Subtotal, Adjustments to Base to Maintain Current Services........................................ - 89 - 675 - 764

Total Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriation Required........................................................... 9 2,172 68 20,675 77 22,847

Financing the Fiscal Year 2022 Request:

Total Appropriation Required, Fiscal Year 2022.......................................................... 9 2,172 68 20,675 77 22,847

3.12 Utilization of Electronic Public Access Receipts and Judiciary Information Technology Fund Balances ... - - - 233 - 233

Total Estimated Obligations, Fiscal Year 2022............................................................ 9 2,172 68 20,908 77 23,080

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

10. Increase in FPS basic/building specific security surcharges.............................................

General Inflationary Adjustments

Mandatory Discretionary Total

FISCAL YEAR 2022

SUMMARY OF REQUEST

UNITED STATES COURT OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE

SALARIES AND EXPENSES

3.3
FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022

Actual Assumed Request

Total Obligations 22,290 23,107 23,080

Unobligated Balance, Start of Year:

Judiciary Information Technology Fund (1,423) (1,191) (200)

Deposits and Other Adjustments:

Judiciary Information Technology Fund (850) (33) (33)

Prior Year Recoveries (184)

Unobligated Balance, End of Year:

Judiciary Information Technology Fund 1,191 200 0

Subtotal, Other Obligations (1,266) (1,024) (233)

Direct Obligations 21,024 22,083 22,847

Unobligated Balance, End of Year 154 0 0

Offsetting Collections 0 0

Appropriation Total 21,178 22,083 22,847

Appropriation - Mandatory 1,614 2,083 2,172

Appropriation - Discretionary 19,564 20,000 20,675

FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022

Actual Assumed Request

11 Personnel compensation 7,496 9,050 9,253

12 Personnel benefits 2,058 2,363 2,497

21 Travel 94 126 129

22 Transportation of things 18 46 47

23 Rent, communications and utilities

Rental payments to GSA 8,151 8,891 9,096

Communications utilities & misc. charges 26 17 18

24 Printing and reproduction 3 3 3

25 Other services 2,085 1,250 1,455

26 Supplies and materials 25 46 47

31 Equipment 218 291 302

91 Undefined Disbursements (JITF Deposit) 850 0 0

Direct Obligations 21,024 22,083 22,847

Other Obligations (JITF Obligations) 1,266 1,024 233

Total Obligations 22,290 23,107 23,080

Description

UNITED STATES COURT OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE

SALARIES AND EXPENSES

Obligations by Activity ($000)

Activity

Obligations by Budget Object Class ($000)

3.4
FY 2021

FY 2020 Assumed FY 2022

Actual Obligations Request

Direct obligations incurred 21,024 22,083 22,847

Obligated balance, start of year 8,223 3,955 4,154

Adjustments of prior year activity 616 647 669

Obligated balance, end of year (3,955) (4,154) (4,298)

Total Outlays 25,908 22,531 23,372

Less Offsets (33) (33) (33)

Net Outlays 25,875 22,498 23,339

UNITED STATES COURT OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Salaries & Expenses

Relation of Obligations to Outlays ($000)

3.5
3.6

UNITED STATES COURT OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE

SALARIES AND EXPENSES

Summary of Mandatory Costs

Fiscal Year 2021 Fiscal Year 2022 

Increase

($000) 

No. of Judgeships Compensation and 

Benefits

($000) 

No. of Judgeships Compensation and 

Benefits

($000) 

Article III Judges 9 2,083 9 2,172 89
3.7

GENERAL STATEMENT AND INFORMATION

The United States Court of International Trade, with nine authorized Article III judgeships, has exclusive nationwide jurisdiction of civil actions 

against the United States, its agencies and officers, and certain civil actions brought by the United States, arising out of import transactions and the 

administration and enforcement of the federal customs and international trade laws. In keeping with its national jurisdiction, sessions of the Court 

may be held throughout the country. 

The estimates under this title are to provide for the salaries of the judges and supporting personnel of the Court of International Trade, located in 

Manhattan, New York, and the necessary operating expenses of the Court. These operating expenses include internal courthouse security, Federal 

Protective Service (FPS) surcharges for basic and building-specific security services, GSA rent charges, travel, equipment maintenance contracts, 

cyclical maintenance of and upgrades to facilities, printing and binding, general office supplies, purchase of new/replacement office equipment and 

furniture, repair of existing equipment and furniture, access to legal research databases, and acquisition and maintenance of legal reference materials.

The fiscal year (FY) 2022 request for the Court of International Trade totals $22,847,000 to support the operations of the Court at a current services 

level. The request includes $2,172,000 for mandatory appropriations and $20,675,000 for discretionary appropriations. 

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruptions to courthouse operations. The Court revised its business practices to allow judges and staff 

to work remotely. The Court itself, for the first time, widely used videoconferencing to hold hearings and conduct court business. To ensure the 

success of these remote operations, the Court engaged with key stakeholders to determine how best to handle proceedings via videoconference. To 

date, this transition to using videoconferencing has been successful. While the Court was able to adjust to remote work using existing assets, it is 

upgrading information technology resources as necessary. 

During FY 2020, the Court experienced an unprecedented increase in case filings. From FY 2019 to FY 2020, new case filings increased from 223 to 

3,670 – an increase of over 1,500 percent. This massive increase is primarily due to novel challenges to recent applications of the federal trade laws. 

Based on commonalities in the claims of many of these new cases, the Court believes that it will be able to utilize case management approaches to 

preside over these additional cases with existing resources. The Court does not plan to seek significant additional funding to manage this increased 

workload. 

FISCAL YEAR 2021 APPROPRIATION

The judiciary built the FY 2022 discretionary budget request for the U.S. Court of International Trade on the FY 2021 enacted appropriation, which 

is $20,000,000. This amount maintains current services in FY 2021. For bill language, the judiciary used the language from P.L. 116-260, Financial 

Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2021. 
3.8

The table below provides caseload data of the Court for 

FY 2016 through FY 2020. 

Civil Action Cases

Pending Pending

Fiscal Beginning End

Year of Year Received Decided of Year

2016 2,031 270 489 1,812

2017 1,812 313 448 1,677

2018 1,677 242 428 1,491

2019 1,491 223 631 1,083

2020 1,083 3,670 482 4,271
3.9

JUSTIFICATION OF CHANGES

The FY 2022 budget request for the Court includes $2,172,000 

for mandatory appropriations and $20,675,000 for 

discretionary appropriations. The discretionary request is a 3.4 

percent increase over the FY 2021 enacted appropriation of 

$20,000,000. The total increase reflects only the necessary 

adjustments to base to maintain current services. The Court 

requests no program increases in FY 2022. 

ADJUSTMENTS TO BASE TO MAINTAIN CURRENT 

SERVICES

The following narrative provides information and justification 

for each of the adjustments to base for the Court.

A. JUDGES

1. Proposed 2022 pay adjustment

Mandatory Increase: $53,000 

The judiciary is assuming federal pay rates will increase by 1.0 

percent in January 2022. The requested increase provides for 

the cost of nine months of the anticipated adjustment raise in 

FY 2022, from January 2022 to September 2022. (If the pay 

adjustment included in the President’s FY 2022 budget request 

is different than 1.0 percent, the judiciary will revise this line 

item in its FY 2022 budget re-estimate.) 

2. Annualization of 2021 pay adjustment

Mandatory Increase: $24,000

The requested increase provides for the annualized costs of a 

2021 Employment Cost Index pay adjustment. Based on the 

enacted appropriation, federal pay rates for judges increased by 

1.0 percent, effective as of January 2021. The requested 

increase provides for the cost of three months (from October 

2021 to December 2021) of the 2021 pay increase in FY 2022. 

3. Benefits increases

a. Health benefits

Mandatory Increase: $8,000 

Based on information from the Office of Personnel 

Management, agency health benefit premium contributions are 

projected to increase by an average of 3.0 percent both in 

January 2021 and January 2022. The requested increase 

annualizes the 2021 premium increase and includes a ninemonth provision for an estimated 3.0 percent increase 

anticipated for FY 2022. 
3.10

b. FICA adjustment

Mandatory Increase: $4,000 

Based on information from the Social Security Administration, 

employer contributions to the Old Age, Survivor, and 

Disability Insurance (OASDI) portion of the FICA tax will 

increase in 2021. The salary cap for OASDI increased from 

$137,700 to $142,800 in January 2021. The requested amount 

is needed to pay the agency’s contribution in FY 2022. 

B. PERSONNEL

Pay and Benefit Adjustments

4. Proposed 2022 pay adjustment

Requested Increase: $54,000 

The judiciary is assuming federal pay rates will increase by 1.0 

percent in January 2022. The requested increase provides for 

the cost of nine months of the anticipated pay adjustment in FY 

2022, from January 2022 to September 2022. (If the pay 

adjustment included in the President’s FY 2022 budget request 

is different than 1.0 percent, the judiciary will revise this line 

item in its FY 2022 budget re-estimate.)

5. Annualization of 2021 pay adjustment

Requested Increase: $18,000

The requested increase provides for the annualized costs of a 

2021 Employment Cost Index pay adjustment for federal 

civilian workers. Based on the enacted appropriation, federal 

pay rates increased by 1.0 percent, effective as of January 

2021. The requested increase provides for the cost of three 

months (from October 2021 to December 2021) of the 2021 

pay increase in FY 2022. 

6. Promotions and within-grade increases

Requested Increase: $54,000 

The requested increase provides for promotions and withingrade increases for personnel. The salary plan for judicial 

support personnel provides for periodic within-grade increases 

for staff who receive at least a satisfactory performance rating.

7. Benefits increases

a. Health benefits

Requested Increase: $65,000 

Based on information from the Office of Personnel 

Management, agency health benefit premium contributions are 
3.11

projected to increase by an average of 3.0 percent in both 

January 2021 and January 2022. The requested increase 

annualizes the 2021 premium increase and includes a ninemonth provision for an estimated 3.0 percent increase 

anticipated for FY 2022. 

b. FICA adjustment

Requested Increase: $3,000 

Based on information from the Social Security Administration, 

employer contributions to the Old Age, Survivor, and 

Disability Insurance (OASDI) portion of the FICA tax will 

increase in 2021. The salary cap for OASDI increased from 

$137,700 to $142,800 in January 2021. The requested amount 

is needed to pay the agency’s contribution in FY 2022. 

c. FERS adjustment

Requested Increase: $54,000 

Consistent with guidance from the Office of Management and 

Budget, funds are requested for an increase in the agency 

contribution rate to Federal Employees Retirement System 

(FERS) plans for FY 2022. For most employees, the agency 

contribution rate will increase from 17.3 percent to 18.4 

percent. Any FERS increase is in accordance with revised 

estimates of the cost of providing benefits by the Board of 

Actuaries of the Civil Service Retirement and Disability 

System.

C. OTHER ADJUSTMENTS

General Inflationary Adjustments

8. Inflationary increases in charges for

contracts, services, supplies, and equipment

Requested Increase: $40,000 

Consistent with guidance from the Office of Management and 

Budget, this requested increase is required to fund inflationary 

adjustments of 2.0 percent for operating expenses such as 

travel, communications, printing, contractual services, supplies 

and materials, furniture, and equipment. 

9. Increase in GSA space rental costs

Requested Increase: $205,000 

This request represents the projected increase of $205,000 in 

the cost of GSA space rental charges for FY 2022. 
3.12

10. Increase in Federal Protective Service (FPS)

basic/building specific security surcharges

Requested Increase: $182,000 

Based on the Department of Homeland Security’s FPS’s 

estimate, an increase of $182,000 in basic and building specific 

security surcharge costs is expected in FY 2022. The building 

specific security surcharges provide for the Court’s pro rata 

share of installing, operating, and maintaining the enhanced 

security for the Federal Complex in lower Manhattan. 

FINANCING THE FISCAL YEAR 2022 REQUEST

Utilization of Electronic Public Access Receipts and the 

Judiciary Information Technology Fund 

Estimated Obligations: $233,000

At the beginning of FY 2021, $1,224,000 was available in 

carryforward balances from the Judiciary Information 

Technology Fund, including $33,000 from Electronic Public 

Access receipts. Of this amount, the Court is planning to use 

$1,024,000 during FY 2021 to: 

• upgrade audio/video in the Court’s training &

conference rooms;

• cyclically upgrade the Court’s VoIP desk phones and

conference phones;

• implement a software-defined network management

solution;

• upgrade cabling infrastructure within the courthouse,

including the data center and network closets; 

• continue licensing and maintenance of court IT

hardware and software applications; 

• continue to maintain and support digital recording

system, data network and voice connections, Virtual

Private Network System (VPN), Voice Over Internet

Protocol (VOIP), and Judiciary Data Communications

Network (DCN); and

• purchase computer desktop systems, monitors, laptops,

mobile devices, and printers, according to the 

judiciary=s cyclical replacement program and as 

necessary to facilitate videoconference needs. 

At the beginning of FY 2022, the Court anticipates that 

$233,000 will be available in carryforward balances into the 

Judiciary Information Technology Fund, including $33,000 of 

EPA receipts. These funds will be used to continue the Court’s 

information technology initiatives as described above and to 

support its short-term and long-term IT needs.