WELCOME TO THE SOUTHWEST TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE CENTER
If your company is experiencing a decline in sales and a decline in employment levels due to the adverse effects of foreign competition, you might qualify for assistance in marketing, manufacturing, engineering, finance, employee training, information management or new product development from SWTAAC. SWTAAC provides management and technical assistance to U.S. manufacturing and service firms that qualify for trade adjustment assistance under the Trade Act of 1974.
The Southwest TAAC is one of eleven nationally operated centers responsible for the administration of the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms program. TAA for Firms is administered and funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration. The Southwest TAAC is administered by the University of Texas at San Antonio and is responsible for the delivery of services to firms in Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas.
SWTAAC Clients and Services
"Affordable consultation services can provide a competitive edge that could mean the survival and renewed growth of a business during times of economic distress. The Southwest TAAC can deliver those services."Robert Velasquez,
SWTAAC Director
CONGRESS MAKES CHANGES TO TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE FOR FIRMS PROGRAM
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law included provisions to expand the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms program at the U.S. Department of Commerce. In addition to technical changes to eligibility criteria for the review of Petitions for Eligibility, the legislation expanded the potential pool of clients significantly by allowing “service” industry firms the opportunity to apply for TAA. The decision to allow service firms to become eligible for TAA was based on the fact that 80 percent of U.S. workers are employed in the service sector. Additionally, the expansion allows for some flexibility in collecting data to demonstrate import impaction by allowing a petitioner to utilize customer import information if it accounts for a significant percentage of the decline of the firm’s sales or production. Similar changes were also made to the TAA for Workers program at the U.S. Department of Labor. Changes to the existing program take effect on May 17, 2009. Look to this web site for updates soon. If you have specific questions about these changes or any other issue, please contact the nearest TAAC in your region.
Please click on the link to H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, to view details of the TAAF changes. Go to page 282.
