Trade Associations

A trade association is an organization created by a group of individual businesses or business owners to promote, enhance, and protect the mutual interests of its members. One type is the industry association, which comprises companies operating within a specific industry or sector (e.g., National Restaurant Association, Motion Picture Association of America, Securities Industry Association). In Europe and Japan, these may be organized into a national representative body called an employers' organization or federation(e.g., Federation of German Employers Association, Industry Club of Japan). Another is the business or peak association, which comprises a variety of companies and business owners within a local, regional, or national geographic area (e.g., Business Roundtable, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, National Federation of Independent Business, Japan Chamber ...