In 1970, then Minister of Economic Affairs (now Premier) Sun Yun-suan officially established the China External Trade Development Council (CETDC), to give assistance to business firms to develop overseas markets and promote export.
民國五十九年，行政院長孫運璿在經濟部長任內，正式成立外貿協會，由武冠雄任秘書長。貿協成立之初，我國對外貿易總額僅廿二億美元（五十八年度），猶在起步階段。貿協乃組團出國，到國外拜訪客戶、參加展覽或自辦展覽，為我國對外貿易鋪路。