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Dutch East India Company Founded
The is a chartered company that carried out colonial activities in Asia. It is often considered to have been the first multinational corporation in the world and it was the first company to issue stock. It was also arguably the first megacorporation, including the ability to wage war, negotiate treaties, coin money, and establish colonies. The company eventulally went bankrupt and dissolved in 1800. -
The Cobden–Chevalier Treaty Is Signed
The Cobden–Chevalier Treaty was an Anglo-French Free Trade treaty signed between the United Kingdom and France. -
United States International Trade Commission Founded
The USITC administers U.S. trade remedy laws within its mandate in a fair and objective manner and maintains the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States. -
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade Signed into International Law
The GATT was formed in 1947 and lasted until the World Trade Organization replaced it in 1995. -
European Free Trade Association Established
The EFTA started with seven members, but they all left for the European Union. The EFTA currently has four members, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway and Switzerland. -
International Trade Administration Founded
The ITA strengthens the competitiveness of U.S. industry, promotes trade and investment, and ensures fair trade through the rigorous enforcement of our trade laws and agreements. -
North American Free Trade Agreement Takes Effect
The NAFTA created the world's largest free trade area, which now links 450 million people producing $17 trillion worth of goods and services. -
World Trade Organization Founded
The WTO provides a forum for negotiating agreements aimed at reducing obstacles to international trade and ensuring a level playing field for all, thus contributing to economic growth and development. It also provides an institutional framework for the implementation and monitoring of these agreements, as well as for settling disputes arising from their interpretation and application.
