November 13, 2026
News Release 26-162
Inv. No(s). TA-201-080

Contact: Office of Public Affairs, 202-205-1819

USITC Reaches Equally Divided Determination in Lamb Meat Global Safeguard Investigation

Today, the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) is equally divided on whether lamb meat is being imported into the United States in such increased quantities as to be a substantial cause of serious injury to the domestic industry producing products like or directly competitive with the imported product.

The determination was made in the context of an investigation initiated on July 13, 2026, under section 202 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. § 2252), following a request filed by the U.S. Trade Representative on July 13, 2026. Information about this investigation and global safeguard investigations in general is available in the USITC fact sheet. 

The USITC reached its determination by a 3-3 vote. Chairman Brett W. Doyle and Commissioners Jason E. Kearns and Bart Thanhauser voted in the affirmative. Commissioners Peter-Anthony Pappas, David Foley Jr., and Samuel T. Negatu voted in the negative.

As a result of today’s vote, the USITC will proceed to the remedy phase of the investigation. The USITC will hold a public hearing on remedy on December 1, 2026, and will submit its report containing its determinations, remedy recommendations, certain additional findings, and the basis for them to the President by January 11, 2027.

When the USITC is equally divided in its injury determination in a global safeguard investigation, it is required to submit the views and findings of both groups to the President and make certain additional findings under the statutes implementing certain free trade agreements (FTAs). 

Pursuant to these statutes, the Commissioners voting affirmative find that imports of lamb meat from neither Canada nor Mexico account for a substantial share of total imports or contribute importantly to the serious injury caused by imports. They also find that imports of lamb meat from CAFTA-DR (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic), Colombia, Jordan, Korea, Panama, Peru, and Singapore, individually, are not a substantial cause of serious injury or threat thereof. They also find that imports from Australia, individually, are a substantial cause of serious injury or threat thereof.

The findings of both groups will be forwarded to the President as part of the USITC’s report. The President will make the final decision concerning whether to provide relief to the U.S. industry and the kind of relief to provide, including with respect to imports from FTA countries. 

A public report concerning this investigation will be available on the USITC website after the USITC submits its findings and recommendations to the President.

Status of proceedings, links to relevant documents, and more information for this investigation can be found at the Commission’s Investigations Database System (IDS).

Source: https://www.usitc.gov/