Agencies and Organizations
Cooperators
Trade Agreements
Trade Data

Canada-US Relations - Canada Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade site that promotes trade between Canada and the United States, which share the world's largest and most comprehensive trading relationship.

Food Export USDA-Northeast - assists Northeast food companies sell in the international market.

Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy - established in 1986 as a nonprofit research and education organization to create environmentally and economically sustainable communities and regions through sound agriculture and trade policy.

International Agriculture Trade Research Consortium - an organization of approximately 150 economists from 15 different countries, interested in research, policy analysis, and current developments in international agricultural trade.

International Policy Council on Agriculture, Food and Trade - founded in 1987 as an independent group of leaders in food and agriculture from 20 developed and developing countries, including formerly centrally planned countries.

Midwest Agribusiness Trade Research and Information Center - an international agricultural trade development center at Iowa State University founded in 1987 by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum - the primary international organization for promoting open trade and economic cooperation among 21 member economies around the Pacific Rim.

Directorate-General for Agriculture (DG VI) at the European Commission - the Commission department responsible for the implementation of the European Union's policies on agriculture and rural development.

IMF Directory of Economic, Commodity and Development Organizations - provides a brief guide to regional economic organizations and to inter-governmental commodity and development organizations.

European Union - a unique, treaty-based, institutional framework that defines and manages economic and political cooperation among its 15 European member countries.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) - founded in 1945, the organization is the largest autonomous agency within the United Nations.

Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) - an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that represents the diverse interests of U.S. farmers and the food and agricultural sector abroad. This site provides U.S. exporter assistance, information on export and marketing programs, foreign market research, trade data by country and commodity, international technical policy and regulations, export sales, and trade leads.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) - an international organization of 182 member countries, established to promote international monetary cooperation and exchange stability among other purposes.

International Trade Administration (ITA) - an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce with trade statistics, industry analysis, and information on trade promotion events.

NAFTA Secretariat - comprised of the Canadian, U.S. and Mexican sections, is an organization established by the Free Trade Commission.

Office of Trade & Economic Analysis - conducts a comprehensive program of data development, dissemination, and research and analysis on international and domestic trade and investment issues.

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) - an organization with 29 members countries that provides a setting to discuss, develop and perfect economic and social policy, and researchers changes or evolving trends in trade, agriculture and other areas.

Organization of American States - Foreign Trade Information - provides full text of trade agreements between countries of the Western Hemisphere and other information on trade in the Western Hemisphere.

Trade Compliance Center - helps U.S. exporters receive the fullest benefits from the more than 200 trade agreements the U.S. has concluded.

U.S. Customs Service - ensures that all goods and persons entering and exiting the United State do so in accordance with U.S. laws and regulations.

U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) - an independent, quasi-judicial federal agency that provides objective expertise to both the legislative and executive branches of government, determines the impact of imports on U.S. industry, and directs actions against certain unfair trade practices.

U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) - responsible for developing and coordinating U.S. international trade commodity, and direct investment policy, and leading or directing negotiations with other countries on such matters.

World Bank Group - founded in 1944, it is the world's largest source of development assistance, providing nearly $30 billion in loans annually to its client countries.

World Trade Organization (WTO) - the only international body dealing with the rules of trade between nations.

COOPERATORS

American Forest and Paper Association - the national trade association of the forest, paper and wood products association.

American Soybean Association - the policy advocate of the U.S. soybean farmer whose mission is to improve U.S. soybean farmer profitability.

Southern U.S. Trade Association - non-profit agricultural export trade development association of the southern state Departments of Agriculture and the high-value food and agricultural exporters of the southern United States.

U.S. Meat Export Federation - a non-profit trade association working to identify and develop international markets for U.S. beef, pork, lamb and veal.

U.S. Wheat Associates - the export market development organization representing the U.S. wheat industry.

TRADE AGREEMENTS

Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) - 34 countries throughout the Western Hemisphere agreed to create a new free trade areas by year 2005.

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) - an FAS site that contains the NAFTA text and related fact sheets.

U.S. WTO Agricultural Proposal - an FAS site that outlines the U.S. proposal submitted to the WTO on June 23, 2000.

TRADE DATA

BICO Report (USDA) - U.S. export/import statistics for bulk, intermediate, and consumer oriented (BICO) foods and beverages.

U.S. Export Sales Reports - weekly export sales reports serve as a timely early warning system on the impact of U.S. obligations on U.S. supplies and prices.

WTO Tariff Schedule - contains Uruguay Round Agreement tariff schedules according to country or chapter.