World Trade Month Is May 2021 and You Are Invited

May is World Trade Month in the United States, and to coordinate the plethora of events traditionally scheduled for that month, the World Trade Month Association's website, WorldTradeMonth.com, will once again serve as a directory of international trade-related events scheduled for May 2021 across the country.

The theme for this year's World Trade Month website is "Growing exports in uncertain times," a reflection of the challenges facing companies during a global pandemic, economic volatility and a new U.S. presidential administration.

Individuals may register for free on the website to receive notifications of World Trade Month events they may wish to attend. Organizations may submit the events they are planning to host during the month. There is no charge for the listings.

The History of World Trade Month

World Trade Month was first celebrated as World Trade Week in 1927 by the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. According to the Chamber, "This occurred during a time of isolationism and under the conditions prevailing during the heyday of the restrictive Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act."

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 a number of federal agencies, state trade offices, area chambers of commerce, World Trade Centers, trade associations and other public and private organizations. These events celebrate the importance of international trade to the U.S. economy and teach people how to begin and grow their exports.

May 2021 World Trade Month Events

Organizations that wish to have their World Trade Month events listed on the website may complete the listing form on the World Trade Month website. All submitted events are subject to review and approval by the Association before being accepted. There is no charge for the listing.

Last year, despite the onset of the global pandemic that caused the cancellation of all in-person events, the World Trade Month calendar featured 43 international trade-related webinars held throughout the month. More than 5,000 people registered for one or more of these webinars sponsored by various government, public and private organizations.

This year, the World Trade Month Association expects there will be many more events during the month, since organizations have more experience hosting online events and attendees are accustomed to the webinar format. The association recommends organizations submit their events early so there is time to get them on the calendar and promoted to the World Trade Month email list.

Call for World Trade Month Speakers

In addition to the events being sponsored by a variety of government and non-government organizations across the U.S., the World Trade Month Association is working with one of its Gold Sponsors to create a series of online education events about international trade.

If you are interested in participating in or presenting your own educational webinar during World Trade Month, send an email to WorldTradeMonth@gmail.com with information about the proposed topic and a summary of your credentials.

World Trade Month Sponsorship Opportunities

If your organization would like to support World Trade Month 2021 and be a sponsor of the website, the World Trade Month Association offers three sponsorship levels. Visit the sponsorship page for details about the three levels and to request more information.