• To promote the study of international trade and finance by encouraging research in the field through the publication of scholarly works and the sponsorship of regular conferences.
  
• To encourage the internationalization of economics and business curricula.
  
• To create a general awareness of the significance of the field among professional economists as well as the public at large.
  

In this regard, IT&FA holds two conferences each year -- one an International Conference, and the other in conjunction with the Allied Social Sciences Association.

The International Trade and Finance Association (IT&FA) is a tax-exempt [Section 501 (c)(3)]non-profit, charitable organization devoted to the promotion of research in, and the study of, international trade, finance and global business issues.   It is incorporated in the state of Ohio. 

IT&FA was founded in 1988 by a prestigious group of academics and professionals who believed that the study of "international" issues had not received the emphasis and attention that it should.  The Association has professional members in over 30 countries. These include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Iran, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States.

For the first ten years of the Association's existence, it was housed at Texas A&M International University in Laredo, Texas. Then, the Imperial Valley Campus of San Diego State University, located in Calexico, California, served as the headquarters until May 2004. The new home is Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.