On June 19, 2013, USA-ITA, now the United States Fashion Industry Association, joined the Foreign Trade Association (FTA), based in Brussels, in sending out a joint press release welcoming the mandate to begin the negotiations of the U.S.-EU Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership (TTIP). USA-ITA President Julia K. Hughes said that “members of FTA and USA-ITA are active globally with significant business interests in both the U.S. and EU. It’s important to note that USA-ITA members don’t simply import products from Europe; they increasingly sell their products in Europe, too, making the TTIP critical to U.S. imports, exports, and job creation.”