The National Foreign Trade Council

What The National Foreign Trade Council does

The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) is a Washington, DC-based, private, non-profit trade association founded in 1914 that represents approximately 100 U.S. companies engaged in international commerce. Its members collectively account for over $6 trillion in revenue and employ nearly 6 million people in the United States across manufacturing, technology, agriculture, and services. NFTC's functional role is to provide policy advocacy, technical expertise, and member access on four core issue verticals: international tax policy, international trade policy, national security policy (export controls, sanctions, investment screening), and supply chain policy. Its products are organized through five entities: core membership services; the affiliated NFTC Foundation (a 501(c)(3) educational organization hosting the annual World Trade Dinner); the Global Innovation Forum (a nonprofit startup connecting small, minority, and women-led businesses with policymakers); the Alliance for National Security and Competitiveness; and the Tariff Reform Coalition.

NFTC operates a small professional staff (11–50 employees) under President Jake Colvin (since October 2021) and Board Chair Susan Schwab (former USTR), with leadership drawn heavily from prior government and Big Four policy roles. It generates revenue through annual membership dues (pricing not publicly disclosed) on a subscription/recurring model, with membership inquiries routed through the Senior Director for Communications and Development. The organization does not sell technology products, has no proprietary software, and is not venture-backed. Its distribution is direct enterprise membership engagement with no consumer-facing products.

The organization's strategic positioning is built on three reinforcing assets: (1) 110+ years of institutional brand equity and relationships across U.S. administrations and international institutions (WTO, OECD); (2) a leadership bench that includes former USTR officials, BIS policy advisors, and UK Cabinet Office alumni; and (3) a four-entity ecosystem that broadens its policy surface area into education, small business, national security, and tariff reform. Its current strategic priorities include scaling the national security and Indo-Pacific practices, growing the Foundation's educational footprint, and engaging on AI governance and digital trade as new policy fronts.

Name

The National Foreign Trade Council

Legal name

National Foreign Trade Council

Website

https://nftc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1914

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) is a Washington, DC-based, non-profit trade association founded in 1914 representing approximately 100 U.S. enterprises engaged in international commerce. It provides policy advocacy and expertise on trade, international tax, national security, and supply chain issues, operating through a core membership program and four affiliated entities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Trade Policy, Agreements & Negotiations (BPADAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Economic & Trade Cooperation Organizations (BPADAAAC), Trade, Export Controls & Customs Compliance (BPAHAFAN), Global Trade & Customs / Trade Compliance (BPAHAHAG)

Keywords

• Trade policy advocacy
• International tax policy
• Export control compliance
• Supply chain policy
• Trade association membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues and fees: NFTC generates revenue through annual membership dues from U.S.-based companies engaged in international trade and commerce. Membership provides access to advocacy services, policy briefings, networking events, and working groups focused on trade, tax, national security, and supply chain policy areas.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The National Foreign Trade Council is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association that advocates on international trade, tax, national security, and supply chain policy on behalf of U.S. companies engaged in global commerce. Its core offering is a corporate membership program that delivers policy representation, member-only convenings, working groups, and access to senior U.S. and foreign government officials, supplemented by affiliated research and dialogue vehicles such as the NFTC Foundation and the Global Innovation Forum.

Product overview

The National Foreign Trade Council is a trade association providing advocacy, policy guidance, and member services for U.S. businesses engaged in global commerce. The organization operates through several programs including its core membership services, the NFTC Foundation (501(c)(3) educational arm), the Global Innovation Forum, the Alliance for National Security and Competitiveness, and the Tariff Reform Coalition. These offerings work together to advance member interests in international trade policy, tax policy, national security policy, and supply chain policies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NFTC Corporate Membership Tiered corporate membership (Chairman's Council, President's Council, Standard, Associate/Individual) that provides policy advocacy, working groups, member convenings, and access to U.S. and foreign government officials for U.S. companies engaged in international trade, tax, supply chain, and national security matters.

Quantifiable outcome

• NFTC members account for over $6 trillion in revenue and employ nearly 6 million people in the United States

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ITI (Information Technology Industry Council)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026ITI partnered with NFTC to host World Trade Organization (WTO) Deputy Director-General Johanna Hill and senior trade and tech decision-makers for a discussion on the intersection of AI governance, digital trade rules, and global competitiveness on the margins of the IMF and World Bank Group Spring Meetings.
• Alliance for National Security and CompetitivenesscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 January 2024NFTC launched the Alliance for National Security and Competitiveness to help businesses take a leadership role engaging on export controls, sanctions, and investment policies. The Alliance serves as a partner to government to inform policy-making on national security and competitiveness issues.
• Global Innovation ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal Innovation Forum (GIF) is a nonprofit project of the NFTC Foundation that connects entrepreneur, small business, corporate, development, and university communities with policymakers to explore opportunities and challenges of engaging in the global marketplace. GIF elevates small business voices in trade and digital policy discussions.
• NFTC FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNFTC maintains an affiliated, independent 501(c)(3) educational organization called the NFTC Foundation that conducts educational efforts in support of an open, rules-based global economy, including public conferences and the annual awards event (World Trade Dinner).
• Tariff Reform CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Tariff Reform Coalition (TRC) is a broad-based alliance of trade associations led by NFTC representing U.S. manufacturers, exporters, retailers, agricultural and food producers, and other supply chain stakeholders adversely affected by Section 232 and Section 301 tariffs. Coalition priorities include tariff removal, monitoring trade policy, exclusion processes, and legislative reform.
• Dow Jones Risk JournalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNFTC participated in a Dow Jones Risk Journal webinar examining China's strategic use of its rare earth and critical minerals supply chain dominance and compliance challenges facing international businesses under evolving export restrictions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Largest U.S. business association with a much broader policy remit; overlaps with NFTC on trade, tax, and supply-chain advocacy but covers labor, regulation, and domestic policy as well, making it the dominant business-voice incumbent.

Direct peers

• National Association of Manufacturers (NAM): The leading U.S. manufacturing trade association; directly competes with NFTC for member engagement on trade agreements, tariffs (Section 232/301), supply-chain policy, and tax, often co-filing or co-advocating through coalitions like the Tariff Reform Coalition.
• Business Roundtable: CEO-led association of major U.S. corporations with very heavy overlap with NFTC's ~100 enterprise member base; it advocates on the same trade, tax, and international economic policy files and frequently coordinates positions.
• U.S. Council for International Business (USCIB): U.S. affiliate of the International Chamber of Commerce; serves a similar function for U.S. multinationals at the OECD, WTO, and UN, and overlaps with NFTC on international tax (including Pillar Two), digital trade, and sustainability policy.
• Emergency Committee for American Trade (ECAT): CEO-level trade association focused exclusively on U.S. international economic policy; it competes most directly with NFTC for large multinational members and for influence on USTR, Commerce, and Treasury.
• Information Technology Industry Council (ITI): Global trade and tech-policy association for major IT companies; directly comparable to NFTC on digital trade, WTO engagement, AI governance, and export controls, and has partnered with NFTC on joint programming.
• Coalition of Services Industries (CSI): U.S. services-sector trade association; competes with NFTC for influence over services trade, digital trade, cross-border data, and market-access negotiations at USTR and the WTO.

Regional players

• Council of the Americas: Business organization focused on the Western Hemisphere; overlaps with NFTC on Latin American trade policy, USMCA, and supply-chain issues but is geographically narrower.

Emerging players

• Consumer Technology Association (CTA): Trade association for the consumer technology industry with growing engagement on digital trade, tariffs, and supply chains; partial overlap with NFTC's digital-trade and supply-chain policy work, primarily for tech-sector members.
• American Petroleum Institute (API): Major U.S. industry association with significant overlap on trade, sanctions, and energy-supply-chain policy, and a likely NFTC member/coalition partner on energy-export and critical-minerals issues.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nftc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC782asRXAg1h4p3M_9WADTQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/national-foreign-trade-council
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-foreign-trade-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The National Foreign Trade Council