Officials: Pandemic-driven trade probe procedures could spur permanent changes

Efforts to adapt trade investigation procedures to a virtual work environment during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed opportunities to reduce costs, broaden witness participation and increase public access to hearings, according to officials who say some changes could lead to permanent improvements. The U.S. International Trade Commission, the Commerce Department and the Court of International Trade last year shifted in-person hearings to video conferencing due to the pandemic. Despite challenges, some aspects of those virtual hearings and other online work procedures...