Houston World Trade Center

The Houston World Trade Center is housed at the Greater Houston Partnership’s World Trade Division. As a member of the World Trade Centers Association - headquartered in New York, we are part of a worldwide network of nearly 300 World Trade Centers in 90 countries. Through cooperative relationships and support services, the HWTC can access the resources of the world's major trading centers.

The Houston World Trade Center enhances Houston’s role as an international business center and highlights markets and issues of interest to international companies looking to do business in Houston and abroad.

Since 1927, the Houston World Trade Center has provided trade support to a countless number of companies and individuals. We're making positive impacts on business in Houston and together with the Greater Houston Partnership, we're building economic vitality though global trade, one company at a time. Let yours be one of them.

Membership Card

As a member of the Greater Houston Partnership, you are automatically a member of the Houston World Trade Center and are entitled to member benefits. To request your World Trade Center membership card, click here. To become a member of the Greater Houston Partnership, start here.

Information Service Center

World Trade Center-Houston’s International Business Information Center is open 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. HWTC staff is on call to assist with research in the center. The center’s holdings include:

  • National and International Directories
  • Local Directories
  • Economic and Demographic Publications
  • International Publications
  • Regional Publications
  • Magazines and Newspapers

World Trade Center members can also access the internet resources via work stations available in the information center. There is no charge to use the library or work stations.

Research & Consultations

Market Research
The Houston World Trade Center can, for a fee, provide basic target market analysis for companies interested in importing goods and commodities into the United States. All requests for customized research must be based on specific two-digit commodity codes as defined under the Harmonized Tariff System. The analysis is condensed into a two-page format that includes the values of the goods and commodities imported annually into the United States, the top U.S. trading partners for these commodities, major U.S. industries that purchase those commodities, the largest companies in those industries, the volume of these commodities that enter the United States through Houston’s air and seaport, the major Houston industries that purchase these commodities, and the names of the largest Houston area firms in those industries. The report also includes an overview of Houston’s distribution and international trade infrastructures. The fee for this report is $300. The reports can be delivered via e-mail, fax or postal service. A sample report can be found by clicking here.

Company Lists
In addition to market analysis, HWTC can provide a list of names, addresses, phone numbers, contact names, business descriptions and employee counts for companies operating in Houston. Request for company lists must be based on four-digit industry codes as defined by the North American Industrial Classification System. The fee is $80 plus $0.12 for each company name supplied. Lists can be via e-mail, fax or postal service. A sample list can be found by clicking here.

One-on-One Briefings
Staff analysts can provide a 30-minute overview of Houston’s economy and the key industries that drive it. By appointment only.

WTCA ON-LINE

WTCA ON-LINE, the WTCA's Internet website (http://www.wtca.org), is a one-stop trade information hub for posting and reviewing trade opportunities, accessing valuable databases and communicating easily with newly found business prospects. The site, which receives on average 500,000 hits each month, is a trade catalyst that garners resources from the combined power of nearly 300 WTCs worldwide and strategic alliances with private sector database and research vendors.

As a HWTC member, you are able access- free of charge- the following databases:

Other information products include a syndicated news service, WTCA Newsletter, WTC events, and other useful resources, many of which are also free of charge.

Trade Opportunities

WTCA OnLine guests may search and display thousands of offers to buy, sell or investment opportunities submitted by members of World Trade Centers around the globe at no charge. Each offer includes a complete business profile of the company who has posted the business opportunity including their type of business, financial institution, annual gross revenue and World Trade Center affiliation. Members of World Trade Centers may post unlimited business opportunities to the database.

WTCA On-Line Trade Opportunities program is the only business offers database on the Internet where you can find out who has read your trade posting. This "Who's Read" feature shows you the contact profile of prospects that have seen your posting. Your own business products and services can be seen by World Trade Centers (WTCs), their members and interested businesses in nearly 300 cities in almost 90 countries around the globe through membership with your Houston World Trade Center.

WTCA OnLine Catalog

WTCA OnLine Catalog offers your company global exposure as part of this dynamic website opening up new markets and producing a steady stream of business prospects. Participation gives your company continual exposure to the World Trade Centers Association's network consisting of nearly 300 World Trade Centers in almost 90 countries and more than 750,000 affiliated businesses.

WTC Members and Guests may search the WTCA OnLine Catalogs and view exhibits free of charge. You can search by Company name, Product Name, Key word, Industry or Product of Harmonized Code.

WTCA OnLine Catalog showcases products and services of WTC Member companies. Creating a professional multi-media web site catalog is easy and can be done in minutes. This service supports:

  • Detailed company information including corporate logo and photo.
  • Complete contact information including email and web site address
  • Unlimited product pages plus a product image for each product listed
  • Ability to add/delete/modify catalog pages anytime
  • Viewable statistics and contact information for all catalog pages displayed

Become part of the most respected online international community through WTCA's network of nearly 300 World Trade Centers serving more than 750,000 affiliated businesses and set up your free catalog through WTCA OnLine. WTCA OnLine is just one of many valuable and innovative services available through World Trade Centers. Companies can find additional services to support their success including: market research, trade education, trade missions, networking meetings, and access to local business events.

World Trade Library

WTCA OnLine's World Trade Library offers links to external international trade Web sites for use by WTCA's Global membership of affiliated businesses. After a worthy web site is discovered, it is added to the WT Library, where it is listed under one of nine international trade headings below. Each web site listing also includes a summary of the value of the information provided within the site.

  • Business Tools
  • Directories & Listings
  • Foreign Direct Investment Information
  • Governmental Organizations
  • News on-line
  • Shipping & Logistics
  • Trade Law
  • Trade Promotion Organizations
  • World Trade Center websites

Trade Flow Pricing Service

WTCA OnLine's Trade Flow Database is an exclusive benefit of membership with a World Trade Center.

WTCA OnLine's Trade Flow database offers an analysis of valuable information on U.S. imports and exports based on U.S. Customs and Census Bureau statistics. You can determine pricing of specific products, identify countries of origin and destination, and ports or entry and exit. This useful database can help you to competitively position your products. Data is updated monthly (90 day delay) after the U.S. Government publishes the statistics.

Searches are performed by using the Harmonized Code System. This is a multipurpose international goods classification system used by manufacturers, exporters, importers, and others in classifying goods moving in international trade under a single commodity code.

WTCA Business Matchmaker

We believe that the most important element in finding business partners is quality information. With WTCA OnLine's Business Matchmaker, you may create a profile of business interests and receive relevant matches of products and services from WTCA OnLine's databases delivered to your email account, thus giving you a convenient means to target new clients.