Department for International Trade

Department for International Trade. It is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom established in July 2016 following the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum. The department is responsible for promoting British trade across the globe and formulating international trade policy, including securing new free trade agreements following the UK's withdrawal from the European Union. Its work supports the government's agenda of building a Global Britain and is closely aligned with the objectives of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

History

The department was created by Prime Minister Theresa May in 2016, splitting from the former Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to form a dedicated body for international trade and investment. This institutional change was a direct consequence of the vote to leave the European Union, which meant the United Kingdom would need to negotiate its own trade deals independently of the European Commission. Key early milestones included establishing the UK's own Generalised Scheme of Preferences and launching negotiations for continuity agreements to replicate existing EU trade deals with partners like Japan and Canada. The department also absorbed the functions of UK Trade & Investment, the previous cross-government trade promotion body.

Responsibilities

The department's core mandate is to promote international trade and investment. This includes developing and delivering a new independent trade policy, negotiating free trade agreements, market access deals, and mutual recognition agreements with countries worldwide, such as the UK–Australia Free Trade Agreement and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. It provides specialist support and advice to British businesses exporting goods and services, operating through its network of international trade advisers and overseas posts. Furthermore, it leads on attracting and retaining high-value foreign direct investment into the UK, working alongside agencies like Invest Northern Ireland and the devolved administrations. The department also oversees the UK's trade remedies framework, administered by the Trade Remedies Authority, to protect domestic industries from unfair trade practices like dumping.

Organisation

The department is led by the Secretary of State for International Trade and headquartered in the Old Admiralty Building on Whitehall. It is structured into several directorates, including Trade Negotiations, Investment, Export Strategy, and Trade Policy. Key operational arms include the Trade Remedies Authority, an independent body, and UK Export Finance, the UK's export credit agency. The department works extensively across Whitehall, coordinating with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on diplomatic outreach, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on industrial strategy, and HM Treasury on economic impacts. Its global network is delivered through staff embedded in British embassies, high commissions, and consulates, such as those in Washington, D.C., Berlin, and Singapore.

Ministers

The ministerial team is headed by the Secretary of State, who sits in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. As of 2022, the Secretary of State is Anne-Marie Trevelyan, supported by Ministers of State including Penny Mordaunt and Mike Freer. The ministerial team also includes Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State who hold specific portfolios for exports, investment, and trade policy. Previous Secretaries of State have included Liam Fox, who served from 2016 to 2019, and Elizabeth Truss, who held the post from 2019 to 2021 and oversaw the first major new agreements with countries like Japan and Australia. The ministers are supported by the department's Permanent Secretary, the senior civil servant, a role held by James Bowler.

See also

* Board of Trade * Export Control Joint Unit * International Trade Committee * List of countries by leading trade partners * Office for Investment * Trade and Investment Advocacy Fund

Category:Department for International Trade Category:2016 establishments in the United Kingdom Category:Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom Category:International trade ministries