Enforcement

USTR monitors and secures U.S. trade rights and benefits under international agreements using a variety of tools including consultations, negotiations, and litigation in formal dispute settlement proceedings.

USTR coordinates the Administration’s activities in identifying, monitoring, enforcing, and resolving the full range of international trade issues to assure that American workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses receive the maximum benefit under our international trade agreements. Those agreements include broad, multilateral agreements such as those adopted at the creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO), regional agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and bilateral agreements such as the various free trade agreements (FTAs).

U.S. rights under trade agreements include protection of intellectual property and basic international labor standards, implementation of environmental agreements, recourse when necessary to trade remedies, and the ability to address a wide array of market access barriers to U.S. goods and services.