Office of the United States Trade Representative
Annual backlog, FY2010–FY2025
Pending requests at end of each fiscal year (Oct 1, 2009 – Sept 30, 2025). Federal fiscal year runs Oct 1 – Sept 30, named for the year it ends.
Dashed verticals mark presidential inaugurations.
Recent quarterly activity
Last 21 quarters of received, processed, and backlog. Most recent: FY2026 Q2 (Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2026).
10 oldest pending requests, end of FY2025 (Sept 30, 2025)
Agencies report days pending in working days, counted from the day the request was received; the years column converts to calendar years. The longer this list runs, the more litigation-ripe the agency’s backlog.
| Rank | Date received | Working days pending | Years pending |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 2024-06-19 | 321 | 1.3 |
| #2 | 2024-06-20 | 321 | 1.3 |
| #3 | 2024-07-22 | 300 | 1.2 |
| #4 | 2024-08-15 | 282 | 1.1 |
| #5 | 2024-12-06 | 205 | 0.8 |
| #6 | 2025-01-29 | 170 | 0.7 |
| #7 | 2025-01-31 | 168 | 0.7 |
| #8 | 2025-02-03 | 167 | 0.7 |
| #9 | 2025-02-04 | 166 | 0.7 |
| #10 | 2025-02-04 | 166 | 0.7 |
Exemption invocations, FY2025 (Oct 1, 2024 – Sept 30, 2025)
How often each FOIA exemption (b1–b9) was invoked when redacting or denying records. Exemption 5 (deliberative process, attorney-client) is highlighted — it’s the most-fought exemption in FOIA litigation.
FOIA staffing, FY2025 (Oct 1, 2024 – Sept 30, 2025)
Annual report history
| FY | Received | Processed | Pending end |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | 170 | 116 | 87 |
| FY2024 | 136 | 112 | 39 |
| FY2023 | 66 | 62 | 7 |
| FY2022 | 67 | 73 | 3 |
| FY2021 | 93 | 97 | 9 |
| FY2020 | 155 | 155 | 12 |
| FY2019 | 136 | 138 | 12 |
| FY2018 | 186 | 188 | 14 |
| FY2017 | 140 | 156 | 16 |
| FY2016 | 118 | 118 | 32 |
| FY2015 | 102 | 93 | 32 |
| FY2014 | 66 | 71 | 23 |
| FY2013 | 97 | 82 | 35 |
| FY2012 | 66 | 59 | 20 |
| FY2011 | 59 | 58 | 13 |
| FY2010 | 41 | 53 | 12 |
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