A Chamber of Commerce (also referred to in some circles as a Board of Trade, though this phrase is not commonly used in the United States) is a form of business network. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to protect their own interests. Local businessmen are members, and they elect an executive council to run the chamber.
Chambers of commerce serve the following purposes:
The first chambers of commerce were founded in 1599 in continental Europe (Marseille, France and Brugge, Belgium). The world's oldest English-speaking Chamber of Commerce is that of Glasgow, Scotland, that was established in 1783.
Membership in an individual Chamber in an area can range from a few dozen to well over 300,000 (as is the case with the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry). Some Chamber organizations in China report even larger membership numbers. Businesses which belong to a Chamber of Commerce can range from a single city or town Chamber, to a county Chamber (see York County Chamber of Commerce), to a Regional Chamber of Commerce (see North Shore Chamber of Commerce) to billion-dollar corporations (overseas).
The chambers do not operate in the same manner as the Better Business Bureau in that, while the BBB has the authority to bind its members under a formal operations doctrine (and, thus, can remove them if complaints arise regarding their services), the local chamber membership is strictly voluntary.
Chambers of commerce also can include economic development corporations or groups (though the latter often is a formal branch of a local government, the groups work together and may in some cases share office facilities) as well as tourism and visitors bureaus.
Some chambers have joined state, national, and even international bodies (such as EUROCHAMBRES, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and Worldchambers). In the majority of countries, the use of the term "chamber of commerce" is regulated by federal law. Currently, there are about 13,000 Chambers registered in the official Worldchambers Network registry, and the Chamber of Commerce network is the largest business network globally.

They promote trade in their own towns or cities.
They attempt to get enacted municipal regulations in interest of business in their regions.
They settle disputes between members by means of arbitration.
They collect information and statistics which may be of use to their members.
They keep a blacklist for members' reference.
They try to prevent unnecessary competition by establishing uniform hours, wages and prices. Continental/Private Law Chambers

EUROCHAMBRES
United States Chamber of Commerce
International Chamber of Commerce
Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce
U.S.-Russia Business Council
National Black Chamber of Commerce
National US-Arab Chamber of Commerce