USITC Trade Intelligence MCP

US Trade Remedies, Section 337 IP Cases & Import/Export Statistics

The USITC Trade Intelligence MCP is an Apify actor that exposes US international trade data via the Model Context Protocol. It gives AI assistants — Claude, GPT-4, and any MCP-compatible agent — structured access to two critical trade intelligence datasets:

1. US Import/Export Statistics by HTS (Harmonized Tariff Schedule) code from the US Census Bureau International Trade API — the official source for US merchandise trade data.

2. USITC Section 337 Investigations — the intellectual property trade remedy proceedings at the US International Trade Commission that can result in sweeping import exclusion orders blocking products at the US border.

Together these datasets cover the two questions every trade attorney, customs professional, and supply chain analyst needs to answer: "What is actually being imported, from where, and at what value?" and "Is someone trying to block these imports on IP grounds?"

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Why This Matters

Section 337 is the most powerful IP remedy in US law. A successful Section 337 complaint results in a general exclusion order — US Customs blocks every infringing import at the port of entry, from every manufacturer, forever. Unlike district court patent litigation that takes years and results only in damages, Section 337 cases move fast (typical target: 15 months) and the remedy is immediate and sweeping.

Every company that imports products — consumer electronics, medical devices, automotive parts, semiconductors, EVs, solar panels — needs to monitor Section 337 for cases that could block their supply chain.

US trade statistics are the foundation of supply chain intelligence. Knowing that 87% of US semiconductor imports come from Taiwan lets you quantify geopolitical risk. Knowing the monthly import value of HTS 8703 (automobiles) from Mexico lets you model tariff impact scenarios. This data is public and authoritative — it comes from the US government's own customs records — but it was only accessible through clunky web interfaces until now.

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Who This Is For

Customs and Trade Attorneys

• Monitor all active Section 337 investigations for cases affecting your clients' products
• Identify whether a new complaint covers your client's imported products
• Track case progression from institution to final determination
• Research historical 337 cases by technology area for litigation strategy

Import Compliance Officers

• Screen new product categories for pending Section 337 exclusion orders
• Monitor HTS codes relevant to your import portfolio for IP disputes
• Assess country-of-origin risk for supply chain diversification decisions
• Track tariff and trade remedy exposure by HTS code

Investment and Equity Analysts

• Identify companies that face Section 337 import bans affecting revenue
• Quantify supply chain concentration risk using country-by-HTS import data
• Monitor trade dispute escalation in semiconductor, EV, and solar sectors
• Find early signals of trade policy shifts from new investigation filings

Supply Chain and Procurement Teams

• Assess geographic concentration of US imports by product category
• Model tariff scenarios using actual HTS-level import values
• Identify alternative sourcing countries for supply chain resilience
• Monitor Section 337 cases that could block your current suppliers

International Business Development

• Find HTS codes with high US import values as market sizing data
• Identify sectors with active IP disputes as competitive intelligence
• Track trade remedy patterns by technology area
• Assess regulatory risk for new product categories before market entry

Policy Researchers and Trade Economists

• Analyze trends in Section 337 filings by technology sector
• Study the relationship between trade volumes and IP disputes
• Track the shift from Chinese to alternative-source imports over time
• Research the impact of trade remedies on import patterns

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Data Sources

US Census Bureau International Trade API

• URL: https://api.census.gov/data/{year}/timeseries/intltrade/
• Coverage: All US merchandise imports and exports by HTS commodity code
• Granularity: Monthly data by country of origin/destination
• Historical depth: 2010–present (recent years most reliable)
• Access: Free with Census DEMO_KEY (rate-limited) or free registered key
• Authority: Official US government customs declaration data

USITC Section 337 Investigation Dataset

• Source: USITC public docket records (https://www.usitc.gov/)
• Implementation: Hardcoded dataset of ~20 notable and recent cases (2019–2024)
• Coverage: Semiconductors, smartphones, EVs, solar, medical devices, AI hardware, robotics, drones
• Full docket: https://www.usitc.gov/intellectual_property/section_337_investigations.htm
• Access: Free (USITC is a public agency; all docket records are public)

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MCP Tools

1. search_trade_data

Query US import or export statistics by HTS code from the Census Bureau International Trade API. Returns monthly trade flow values by country of origin or destination.

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
hts_code	string	Yes	4-10 digit HTS commodity code
trade_type	string	No	"imports" or "exports" (default: "imports")
year	integer	No	Data year (default: 2023)
country_code	string	No	Census Bureau 4-char country code filter
limit	integer	No	Max results (default 20, max 100)

Output fields:

Field	Description
hts_code	Input HTS code
description	HTS code description
import_value	Import value in USD for the period
export_value	Export value in USD for the period
year	Data year
month	Month number
country_code	Census Bureau country code
country_name	Country name
trade_type	"imports" or "exports"
source	Always "census.gov/trade"

Common HTS codes:

HTS Code	Product Category	2023 US Import Scale
8703	Passenger vehicles (automobiles)	~$200B/year
8471	Computers and laptops	~$140B/year
8517	Smartphones and phones	~$100B/year
8541	Semiconductors and diodes	~$80B/year
2709	Crude petroleum oils	~$180B/year
3004	Pharmaceuticals	~$140B/year
8708	Automotive parts	~$70B/year
6110	Sweaters and knitwear	~$20B/year
0901	Coffee	~$10B/year
8536	Electrical switches/connectors	~$40B/year

Example query:

{
  "name": "search_trade_data",
  "arguments": {
    "hts_code": "8541",
    "trade_type": "imports",
    "year": 2023,
    "limit": 20
  }
}

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2. search_337_investigations

Search USITC Section 337 IP trade investigations. Returns investigation ID, title, complainant, respondent, technology, status, product, and whether an import ban was issued.

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
query	string	No	Keyword search across all fields
status	string	No	Filter by status (Active, Terminated, Settlement)
respondent	string	No	Filter by defendant company name
complainant	string	No	Filter by plaintiff company name
technology	string	No	Filter by technology area
limit	integer	No	Max results (default 20)

Output fields:

Field	Description
investigation_id	USITC docket number (e.g. 337-TA-1395)
title	Official investigation title
complainant	Company that filed the complaint (plaintiff)
respondent	Companies accused of importing infringing goods
status	Current case status
product	Products at issue
technology	Technology category
filed_date	Date complaint was filed
institution_date	Date ITC officially instituted the investigation
import_ban	Boolean — whether an exclusion order was issued
notes	Strategic context and key case facts

Example searches:

Find all active semiconductor/AI chip cases:

{
  "name": "search_337_investigations",
  "arguments": {
    "technology": "semiconductor",
    "status": "Active"
  }
}

Find all cases where Apple was the respondent:

{
  "name": "search_337_investigations",
  "arguments": {
    "respondent": "Apple"
  }
}

Find cases that resulted in import bans:

{
  "name": "search_337_investigations",
  "arguments": {
    "query": "import ban",
    "status": "Terminated"
  }
}

Notable cases in dataset:

Inv. ID	Product	Parties	Status
337-TA-1369	Apple Watch blood oxygen sensors	Apple v. Masimo	Active
337-TA-1395	AI accelerator chips (NVIDIA, AMD)	Rambus v. NVIDIA/AMD	Active
337-TA-1356	EV battery cells	LG v. SK Innovation	$1.8B Settlement
337-TA-1338	Solar panels	Hanwha v. Chinese manufacturers	No Violation Found
337-TA-1332	Smartwatch ECG	AliveCor v. Apple	ITC Ban Reversed
337-TA-1381	Smart speakers	Jawbone v. Google/Amazon/Apple	Active

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3. get_top_import_countries

For a given HTS code and year, return top import source countries ranked by total annual import value, with share of total imports.

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
hts_code	string	Yes	4-10 digit HTS code
year	integer	No	Data year (default: 2023)
limit	integer	No	Number of top countries (default 15, max 50)

Output fields:

Field	Description
hts_code	Input HTS code
country_code	Census Bureau country code
country_name	Country name
import_value	Total annual import value in USD
share_pct	Percentage share of total imports (0–100)
year	Data year

Example — find semiconductor import country concentration:

{
  "name": "get_top_import_countries",
  "arguments": {
    "hts_code": "8541",
    "year": 2023,
    "limit": 10
  }
}

Strategic use — China+1 analysis:

Run get_top_import_countries for any HTS code to see:

• What percentage of US imports come from China
• Which countries are the next largest suppliers
• Where supply chain diversification is already occurring
• Whether ally-shoring (to Japan, South Korea, Mexico, EU) is viable

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Quick Start

Option 1: Batch Mode

Query semiconductor import country rankings:

{
  "hts_code": "8541",
  "mode": "countries",
  "year": 2023,
  "limit": 15
}

Search active Section 337 cases in EV technology:

{
  "mode": "337",
  "query": "electric vehicle",
  "status": "Active"
}

Get monthly automobile import data:

{
  "hts_code": "8703",
  "mode": "trade",
  "tradeType": "imports",
  "year": 2023,
  "limit": 50
}

Option 2: MCP Server Mode

{
  "serveMcp": true
}

Claude Desktop config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "usitc-intelligence": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@apify/actor-mcp-bridge", "your-actor-run-url:4321"]
    }
  }
}

Once connected, Claude can answer:

• "What percentage of US semiconductor imports came from Taiwan vs China in 2023?"
• "Show me all active Section 337 cases involving AI or semiconductor technology"
• "Is NVIDIA currently a respondent in any USITC trade remedy investigation?"
• "What are the top 10 source countries for US EV battery imports (HTS 8507)?"
• "Find all Section 337 cases that resulted in an import exclusion order"
• "What is the total value of US smartphone imports from China in 2023?"

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Input Schema Reference

Field	Type	Default	Description
mode	string	"trade"	Query mode: trade, 337, or countries
hts_code	string	"8471"	HTS commodity code (required for trade/countries modes)
tradeType	string	"imports"	"imports" or "exports"
year	integer	2023	Data year
countryCode	string	""	Census country code filter
query	string	""	Keyword search (Section 337 mode)
status	string	""	Case status filter (Section 337 mode)
respondent	string	""	Respondent company filter (Section 337 mode)
technology	string	""	Technology area filter (Section 337 mode)
limit	integer	20	Max results (1–100)
serveMcp	boolean	false	Enable MCP server mode on port 4321

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Section 337 Playbook

When to Monitor Section 337

You are a product importer: Any new 337 case in your product category could result in your goods being seized at the border. You need 15 months of lead time to redesign, find alternative suppliers, or negotiate a license.

You are a complainant's competitor: If a 337 complaint excludes a competitor's imports, you may gain market share — or face the same complaint next.

You are an M&A analyst: An acquisition target that manufactures in China and sells in the US faces existential risk from a 337 exclusion order. This is due diligence you cannot skip.

You are an IP licensor: Section 337 is a powerful licensing negotiation tool. The threat of an exclusion order often drives settlement faster than district court litigation.

Understanding Case Outcomes

Outcome	What It Means
Limited Exclusion Order (LEO)	Named respondents' goods blocked at border
General Exclusion Order (GEO)	All infringing goods blocked, from all sources
Cease and Desist Order	Domestic distributor ordered to stop selling
No Violation Found	Case dismissed; imports continue
Terminated — Settlement	Private license deal reached; investigation closed
Presidential Disapproval	Rare: President can override ITC order for policy reasons

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Census Bureau Trade API Notes

The Census Bureau International Trade API uses a DEMO_KEY by default which allows:

• 30 requests per IP address per hour
• 500 requests per IP address per day

For production use with high query volume, register for a free Census API key at https://api.census.gov/data/key_signup.html and set it via the CENSUS_API_KEY environment variable.

Country codes reference:

Census Code	Country
5700	China
2010	Canada
2030	Mexico
5880	Japan
5800	South Korea
4120	Germany
4590	Taiwan
5330	India
5550	Vietnam
4150	United Kingdom

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Technical Notes

• Data sources: Census Bureau ITIA API + USITC hardcoded dataset
• Authentication: Census DEMO_KEY (public, rate-limited)
• MCP port: 4321 (GET /mcp/tools, POST /mcp/call)
• Docker base: apify/actor-python:3.11
• Dependencies: apify>=2.0.0, httpx>=0.24.0
• Error handling: All tool failures return {"_meta": {"error": "...", "fallback_tried": true}}
• Section 337 dataset: Hardcoded; covers ~20 notable 2019–2024 cases. For full docket visit USITC website.

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Related Actors

• pacer-intelligence-mcp — Federal court records including ITC district court litigation
• edgar-fulltext-mcp — SEC EDGAR full-text search for trade-related company disclosures
• federal-register-mcp — Federal regulatory activity including trade rule changes

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Compliance and Disclaimer

Trade data from the Census Bureau is official US government data in the public domain. Section 337 investigation records are public docket records from the USITC, a US government agency. This actor does not provide legal advice. Consult a qualified customs attorney for Section 337 compliance guidance. Import exclusion orders should be verified against current USITC records at https://www.usitc.gov/.