Jan 26 (Reuters) - The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) said it was going to probe conditions of competitiveness in foreign trade zones, with the commission expecting to submit its findings to the U.S. Trade Representative's office by April 2023.

The report will provide an overview of economic activity in the foreign trade zones in the United States, Canada and Mexico since 2016, the USITC said in a notice on Wednesday.

It will also analyze the effects of current foreign trade zone polices on cost competitiveness of products of American firms operating in these areas, the USITC said.

Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZ) are secure areas under U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) supervision that are generally considered outside CBP territory upon activation. Located in or near CBP ports of entry, they are the United States' version of what are known internationally as free-trade zones.

Such USITC so-called "fact-finding investigations" cover matters related to tariffs and trade. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; editing by Jonathan Oatis)