about Western Hemispheric Trade Information Center

mission

The Western Hemispheric Trade Information Center mission is:

To provide an electronic repository of textual data for the sole purpose of educational research. This data is available in searchable full-text databases at the Center's Database.

The Center also provides information to interested parties in the form of a monthly publication, The Wester Hemispheric Trade Digest.

history

The Texas A&M International University's Office for the Study of U.S.-Mexico Trade Relations (USMTR) was established in December 1990 under the Graduate School of International Trade and Business Administration (GSIT&BA). In September 1994, the USMTR became a part of the College of Business Administration (COBA). From its inception, the USMTR has developed and maintained a text database pertaining to the trilateral free trade agreement involving the United States, Mexico and Canada (NAFTA).

On September 1, 1991, through a U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Agency grant, the North American Free Trade Agreement Information Center was established. During the grant period, and since, the NAFTA Information Center has been under the auspices of the USMTR. Since January 1993, the USMTR/NAFTA Information Center has been developing text databases dealing with similar issues related to Central and South America.

Since July 1994, the NAFTA Information Center has also developed a specialized database on agricultural issues funded by the Center for North American Studies through a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In September 1999 the NAFTA Center aggregated all articles into one data set. All subsequent sets contain information regarding NAFTA, FTAA and issues relating to trade and business in the Western Hemisphere.

In 2000, the NAFTA Information Center was renamed the Western Hemispheric Trade Information Center.