The American Chamber of Commerce in Italy (AmCham) is a private, non profit-making organisation. It is affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce in Washington D.C., the American Commercial Association composed of more than three million member companies. It is also a founding member of the European Council of American Chambers of Commerce, the organisation which protects free trade between the European Union and the United States. In addition to its headquarters in Milan, AmCham’s presence extends throughout the major Italian and American cities by means of a network of local chapters. AmCham’s aims to develop and promote economic, cultural and political relations between the United States and Italy, to support and protect the interests of its associates’ commercial activities between the two countries, and to disseminate information concerning AmCham’s own activities amongst its members.