The Trade Education Database (TED) was built as part of an OAS-USAID effort to provide a source of information on trade policy education and training programs in the Western Hemisphere. This database has been posted on the FTAA website under the Technical Assistance category, as mandated by the Trade Ministers in November 1999. In the Toronto Ministerial Declaration, the Ministers requested the Tripartite Committee to “disseminate through the FTAA Home page an inventory of training opportunities available in FTAA-relevant areas of trade policy and negotiation for both government officials and the private sector in the region in order to facilitate access to technical assistance..."

TED does not reflect any particular ranking or judgment of the quality of programs; rather, this initial list of programs was constructed based on the regular availability of the supply and coverage of trade disciplines. Options for the updating and expansion of TED are under consideration.