In 1980, Congress reorganized the U.S. Customs Court as the U.S. Court of International Trade, the primary function of which was the enforcement of trade agreements. Because of confusion regarding the respective jurisdiction of the Customs Court and the U.S. district courts, many suits regarding international trade had been filed in the district courts, leading to inconsistent rulings. In creating the Court of International Trade, Congress expanded its jurisdiction over matters related to trade to make it clear that the court was to be the primary venue for trade-related litigation. All appeals from the Court of International Trade were heard by the U.S. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals until 1982, when that court was abolished and its jurisdiction transferred to the new U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
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