World Trade Month 2024 Is in May and You Are Invited

The global trade landscape is shifting. The once-dominant U.S.-China trade relationship is undergoing a complex transformation, while regional trade partnerships like the one between the United States and Mexico are gaining traction. (The United States bought more goods from Mexico than China in 2023 for the first time in 20 years.) Amid these changes, American businesses are showing resilience and adaptability. The trade deficit narrowed significantly in 2023, and exports hit record highs, despite a sluggish global economy.

This year's theme for World Trade Month, A New Path Forward, captures this evolving landscape. Celebrated every May since 1935, World Trade Month is the perfect time to learn the ropes of exporting, connect with industry experts and discover resources to help you navigate the ever-changing world of international trade.  World Trade Month offers the tools and support you need to thrive in a changing marketplace, through dozens of events taking place throughout the month. The World Trade Month Association publishes a calendar of events, many are free and they touch on many different aspects of global trade, from compliance and documentation to marketing and trade finance.

Include Your World Trade Month Event 

If your organization is sponsoring an import-export event in May 2024, you can register your event at the World Trade Month website and have it added to the calendar. All submissions are subject to review and approval by the association. There is no charge for the listing.

While you're at the World Trade Month website, make sure to sign up for the email newsletter to be notified of upcoming events. Plus, we'll be publishing fun facts about world trade throughout May, many of them highlighting the changing dynamics and records that were broken last year.

World Trade Month Webinar Highlights

This year's free online webinars include:

• Don’t Let This Happen to You: Avoiding Export Compliance Failures (May 2nd): Learn how to identify and mitigate common pitfalls that can derail your exports and cost you time and money.

• Export Business Planning & International Market Identification (May 6): Learn what you need to know about formulating a solid export plan to support your global expansion. Learn how to identify the best international markets for your company’s products and/or services using available digital tools.

• Grant Funding for Small Business Exporters (May 7): Learn about SBA’s State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) which supports small businesses with reimbursable grant funding for eligible export-related costs. 

• Export Controls: ITAR vs. EAR (May 9th): Better understand jurisdiction and classification with this clear breakdown of ITAR and EAR regulations—and how to use compliance as a competitive advantage. 
• The Importance of Creating an Export Compliance Program (May 16th): Discover the essential elements of a strong export compliance program, how it can protect your business and how to create one.
• Navigating the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (May 23rd): Understand the FCPA's anti-bribery provisions and how to ensure your international transactions are ethical and compliant. Any U.S. company doing business with non-U.S. parties could be at risk for violations! 

• Export Compliance Considerations for your Shipping Department (May 28): This webinar will discuss various export compliance considerations for your shipping department.

Click the links above or visit the World Trade Month events page for details about these and other World Trade Month events.

The History of World Trade Month

World Trade Month, first celebrated as World Trade Week in 1927 by the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, began “during a time of isolationism and under the conditions prevailing during the heyday of the restrictive Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act,” wrote the chamber. 

In 1935, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt made World Trade Week a national observance. Since that time, World Trade Week has been celebrated during the entire month of May by federal agencies, state trade offices, area chambers of commerce, World Trade Centers, trade associations and other public and private organizations. 

It's impossible to predict what the next year will bring for international trade. World Trade Month, and the educational tools that go along with it, are here to help importers and exporters position themselves for success, whatever comes next.   

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