Who We Are


OUR HISTORY

Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms (TAAF) was authorized by the Trade Act of 1974 in an effort to alleviate the adverse effects on workers, employers and communities resulting from increases in foreign imports. Sponsored by the U.S. Economic Development Administration, TAAF is a cost sharing federal assistance program that pays a portion of consultants or industry-specific experts’ expenses for projects that improve a firm’s competitiveness.

Applied Strategies International, Ltd., (ASI) was organized in 1982 as a private not-for-profit corporation operating the Midwest Trade Adjustment Assistance Center (Midwest TAAC). This center administers the program on behalf of the U.S. Economic Development Administration in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. ASI acts as a liaison between manufacturers and the U.S. Economic Development Administration and remains the company’s advocate throughout the program.