diff --git a/opentelemetry-api/src/opentelemetry/util/__init__.py b/opentelemetry-api/src/opentelemetry/util/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cbf36d4c05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/opentelemetry-api/src/opentelemetry/util/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+import time
+
+# Since we want API users to be able to provide timestamps,
+# this needs to be in the API.
+
+try:
+    time_ns = time.time_ns
+# Python versions < 3.7
+except AttributeError:
+
+    def time_ns() -> int:
+        return int(time.time() * 1e9)
diff --git a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/__init__.py b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/__init__.py
index f4124e3694..1cee1933e2 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/__init__.py
+++ b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/__init__.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 from opentelemetry.context import Context
 from opentelemetry.sdk import util
 from opentelemetry.sdk.util import BoundedDict, BoundedList
-from opentelemetry.util import types
+from opentelemetry.util import time_ns, types
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ def add_event(
     ) -> None:
         if attributes is None:
             attributes = Span.empty_attributes
-        self.add_lazy_event(trace_api.Event(name, util.time_ns(), attributes))
+        self.add_lazy_event(trace_api.Event(name, time_ns(), attributes))
 
     def add_lazy_event(self, event: trace_api.Event) -> None:
         with self._lock:
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ def start(self, start_time: int = None):
             has_started = self.start_time is not None
             if not has_started:
                 self.start_time = (
-                    start_time if start_time is not None else util.time_ns()
+                    start_time if start_time is not None else time_ns()
                 )
         if has_started:
             logger.warning("Calling start() on a started span.")
@@ -264,9 +264,7 @@ def end(self, end_time: int = None):
                 raise RuntimeError("Calling end() on a not started span.")
             has_ended = self.end_time is not None
             if not has_ended:
-                self.end_time = (
-                    end_time if end_time is not None else util.time_ns()
-                )
+                self.end_time = end_time if end_time is not None else time_ns()
         if has_ended:
             logger.warning("Calling end() on an ended span.")
             return
diff --git a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/export/__init__.py b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/export/__init__.py
index 2f42c19c39..ce362813ec 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/export/__init__.py
+++ b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/export/__init__.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 from enum import Enum
 
 from opentelemetry.context import Context
-from opentelemetry.sdk import util
+from opentelemetry.util import time_ns
 
 from .. import Span, SpanProcessor
 
@@ -163,9 +163,9 @@ def worker(self):
                         break
 
             # substract the duration of this export call to the next timeout
-            start = util.time_ns()
+            start = time_ns()
             self.export()
-            end = util.time_ns()
+            end = time_ns()
             duration = (end - start) / 1e9
             timeout = self.schedule_delay_millis / 1e3 - duration
 
diff --git a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/util.py b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/util.py
index c2df2b3f4e..da6ada90c3 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/util.py
+++ b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/util.py
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 
 import datetime
 import threading
-import time
 from collections import OrderedDict, deque
 
 try:
@@ -26,14 +25,6 @@
     from collections import MutableMapping
     from collections import Sequence
 
-try:
-    time_ns = time.time_ns
-# Python versions < 3.7
-except AttributeError:
-
-    def time_ns():
-        return int(time.time() * 1e9)
-
 
 def ns_to_iso_str(nanoseconds):
     """Get an ISO 8601 string from time_ns value."""
diff --git a/opentelemetry-sdk/tests/trace/test_trace.py b/opentelemetry-sdk/tests/trace/test_trace.py
index 378534453c..dc593a9d62 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-sdk/tests/trace/test_trace.py
+++ b/opentelemetry-sdk/tests/trace/test_trace.py
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@
 from unittest import mock
 
 from opentelemetry import trace as trace_api
-from opentelemetry.sdk import trace, util
+from opentelemetry.sdk import trace
+from opentelemetry.util import time_ns
 
 
 class TestTracer(unittest.TestCase):
@@ -174,7 +175,7 @@ def test_span_members(self):
             # events
             root.add_event("event0")
             root.add_event("event1", {"name": "birthday"})
-            now = util.time_ns()
+            now = time_ns()
             root.add_lazy_event(
                 trace_api.Event("event2", now, {"name": "hello"})
             )