Department for International Trade#Ministers
{{Short description|Defunct department of the UK Government}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{infobox government agency
| name = Department for International Trade
| type = department
| seal =
| logo = File:Department for International Trade logo.svg
| formed = 14 July 2016
| preceding1 = UK Trade & Investment; Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
| superseding = Department of Business and Trade
| dissolved = 7 February 2023
| jurisdiction = Government of the United Kingdom
| headquarters = Old Admiralty Building, Admiralty Place, Whitehall, LONDON, SW1A 2DY
| employees =
| budget =
| minister1_pfo = Secretary of State for International Trade, President of the Board of Trade
| chief1_position = Permanent Secretary
| chief2_position = Second Permanent Secretary and Chief Trade Negotiation Adviser
| child1_agency = UK Export Finance
| child2_agency =
| website = {{URL|https://gov.uk/dit}}
| agency_name = Department for International Trade
}}
{{PoliticsUK}}
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The Department for International Trade (DIT){{cite web|title=Department for International Trade|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-international-trade|website=GOV.UK|publisher=GOV.UK|date=28 July 2016|access-date=28 July 2016}} was a department of the United Kingdom Government, from July 2016 to February 2023. It was responsible for striking and extending trade agreements between the United Kingdom and foreign countries, as well as for encouraging foreign investment and export trade.{{cite web|title=About us – Department for International Trade|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-international-trade/about|website=GOV.UK|access-date=July 14, 2016|language=en}}
DIT's purpose was to develop, coordinate and deliver a new trade policy for the United Kingdom, including preparing for and then negotiating free trade agreements and market access deals with non-EU countries.
The final Secretary of State for International Trade, was Kemi Badenoch. On 7 February 2023, the department was merged in a reshuffle with parts of the former Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to form the new Department for Business and Trade. Badenoch became Secretary of State for Business and Trade.{{cite news |last1=Crerar |first1=Pippa |last2=Elgot |first2=Jessica |title=Rishi Sunak appoints Greg Hands as Conservative party chair in cabinet mini-reshuffle |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/feb/07/rishi-sunak-appoints-greg-hands-cabinet-mini-reshuffle |access-date=7 February 2023 |work=The Guardian |agency=The Guardian |date=7 February 2023}}
The department was scrutinised by the International Trade Select Committee.
History
File:No. 3 Whitehall Place.jpg
The department was created by former Prime Minister Theresa May, shortly after she took office on 13 July 2016, following the United Kingdom's vote to leave the European Union.{{cite web|author1=CSW and Politics Home staff|title=Theresa May signals Whitehall rejig with two new Cabinet posts|url=https://www.civilserviceworld.com/articles/news/theresa-may-signals-whitehall-rejig-two-new-cabinet-posts|website=Civil Service World|access-date=July 14, 2016|language=en|date=July 13, 2016}} It took on the responsibilities of UK Trade & Investment, which was previously operated by both the Foreign Office and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills; it also took on the latter's other relevant trade functions, as well as responsibility for UK Export Finance.{{cite web|title=Machinery of Government Changes:Written statement - HCWS94|url=http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2016-07-18/HCWS94|website=UK Parliament|access-date=July 22, 2016|date=July 18, 2016}} In doing so, the department can trace its institutional history back to the longstanding Department of Trade and Industry (1970-2007), itself formed from a merger of the Board of Trade with the short-lived Ministry of Technology in 1970.
The Board of Trade was the government body, arising from the Privy Council with historic responsibility for British commerce and industry. When the UK joined the European Economic Community in 1973, the Board lost most of its powers and responsibilities, which had become a competencies of the EEC, later the European Union. Nevertheless, the Board persisted as a dormant institution whose presidency remained a subsidiary title of the Secretary of State with responsibilities for trade. In 2017 the Board was reconstituted as an advisory body, designed to engage with the whole of the UK on the UK’s global trade and investment agenda, with a focus on promoting the UK regions as destinations to trade and do business with.{{cite web |title=Board of Trade |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/board-of-trade |website=GOV.UK |publisher=UK Government |access-date=17 November 2022}} The Board's president remains the Secretary of State for International Trade, who by virtue of their membership of the Privy Council, is the only member. Advisors to the Board include industry leaders, academics, junior ministers in the Department for International Trade, and the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The reports of the Board of Trade are an important form of policy direction for the Department for International Trade.
By February 2017, the department employed about 200 trade negotiators.Trading places / Negotiating post-Brexit deals. Economist, February 4th-10th 2017, page 25
The department was dissolved on 7 February 2023, and its functions and personnel transferred to the new Department for Business and Trade. {{cite web |last1=Boscia |first1=Stefan |title=Rishi Sunak merges UK trade and business departments in Whitehall shake-up |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/rishi-sunak-merges-uk-trade-business-kemi-badenoch-industrial-strategy/ |website=Politico |access-date=13 June 2024 |date=7 February 2023}}
Ministers
The final roster of Ministers in the Department for International Trade were as follows:{{cite web|title=Our ministers|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-international-trade|website=GOV.UK|publisher=UK Government|access-date=1 August 2019}}
| class="wikitable"
! Minister ! Rank ! Title ! Portfolio |
| Kemi Badenoch MP
| Secretary of State | Secretary of State | The Secretary of State is responsible for securing world-class free trade agreements and reducing market access barriers, ensuring that consumers and businesses can benefit from both; encouraging economic growth and a green industrial revolution across all parts of the UK through attracting and retaining inward investment. They are responsible for supporting UK business to take full advantage of trade opportunities, including those arising from delivering free trade agreements, facilitating UK exports. Additionally they champion the rules-based international trading system and operating the UK’s new trading system, including protecting UK businesses from unfair trade practices.{{cite web |title=Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/secretary-of-state-for-international-trade |website=GOV.UK |publisher=UK Government |access-date=30 October 2022}} As Minister for Women and Equalities, the Secretary of State also has responsibility for developing an equalities policy that is based on individual autonomy and dignity and for promoting equality of opportunity for everyone.{{cite web |title=Minister for Women and Equalities |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/minister-for-women-and-equalities--3 |website=GOV.UK |publisher=UK Government |access-date=17 November 2022}} 30px Text was copied from this source, which is available under an [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ Open Government Licence v3.0]. © Crown copyright. |
| Greg Hands MP
| Minister of State | Minister of State for Trade Policy | The Minister of State supports the Secretary of State with all free trade agreements, trade remedies, the Board of Trade, market access strategy, and union policy. The Minister is also responsible for external engagement via the Strategic Trade Advisory Group, sectoral trade advisory groups, trade union advisory groups, civil society and think tank roundtables.{{cite web |title=Minister of State (Minister for Trade Policy) |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/minister-of-state--96 |website=GOV.UK |publisher=UK Government |access-date=30 October 2022}} |
| Dominic Johnson, Baron Johnson of Lainston
| Minister of State | The Minister of State encourages economic growth and a green industrial revolution across all parts of the UK through attracting and retaining inward investment. The minister’s responsibilities include: investment promotion across all sectors, the Office for Investment, delivering an investment strategy to drive further inward investment to the UK, investor relationship management, Sovereign Investment Partnerships, and delivering key investment events.{{cite web |title=Minister of State (Minister for Investment) |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/minister-of-state--103 |website=GOV.UK |publisher=UK Government |access-date=30 October 2022}} This role has typically been the domain of a member of the House of Lords. |
| Nigel Huddleston MP
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State | Minister for International Trade | The Minister is responsible for supporting the Secretary of State with: trade remedies, tariffs, disputes, parliamentary and legislative activity, sanctions and trade defence, securing global supply chains, the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU), and the Department for International Trade’s corporate activity.{{cite web |title=Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for International Trade) |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/parliamentary-under-secretary-of-state--139 |website=GOV.UK |publisher=UK Government |access-date=17 November 2022}} |
| Andrew Bowie MP
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State | Minister for Exports | The Minister's responsibilities include export promotion across all sectors, UK Export Finance (UKEF), trade missions and trade shows. The minister also supports the Secretary of State with the delivery of an export strategy to boost exports across the UK, supporting small and medium sized businesses to export, the Trade Envoy programme, and the Department's contribution to the GREAT campaign - the government's flagship international communications programme designed to drive national economic growth by encouraging an international audience to visit, study, trade, invest, live and work in the UK.{{cite web |title=Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Exports) |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/parliamentary-under-secretary-of-state-minister-for-exports |website=GOV.UK |publisher=UK Government |access-date=17 November 2022}}{{cite web |title=GREAT campaign drives growth across the four corners of the UK |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/great-campaign-drives-growth-across-the-four-corners-of-the-uk |website=GOV.UK |access-date=18 November 2022 |language=en |date=30 September 2022}} 30px Text was copied from this source, which is available under an [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ Open Government Licence v3.0]. © Crown copyright. |
| Maria Caulfield MP
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State | Supporting the Secretary of State in their role as Minister for Women and Equalities. |
| Stuart Andrew MP
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State | Supporting the Secretary of State in their role as Minister for Women and Equalities. |
The role of Minister of State for International Trade was downgraded, soon after Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister in October 2022, to the more junior rank of Parliamentary Under-Secretary. At the same time, Kemi Badenoch's assumption of the role of Minister for Women and Equalities saw the appointment of two additional Parliamentary Under-Secretaries to support this additional portfolio. Badenoch retained the portfolio for Women and Equalities when the department was dissolved and merged.
Trade remedies
After Britain left the EU, the Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate (TRID) of the Department for International Trade was created to investigate whether new trade remedies are needed to prevent injury to UK industries caused by unfair trading practices and unforeseen surges in imports. These remedies usually take the form of additional duties on those imports.{{Cite web|title=About us|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/trade-remedies-investigations-directorate/about|access-date=2021-04-30|website=GOV.UK|language=en}}
Following Royal Assent of the Trade Act 2021{{Cite web|title=Historic Trade Act becomes law|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/historic-trade-act-becomes-law|access-date=2021-04-30|website=GOV.UK|language=en}} TRID became an independent arms-length body, the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA), on 1 June 2021.{{Cite web|title=About us|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/tra-to-defend-uk-against-unfair-international-trade-practices|access-date=2021-06-08|website=GOV.UK|language=en}} The Authority is based in Reading.Trade Remedies Authority, [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/trade-remedies-authority Contact the Trade Remedies Authority], accessed 26 September 2022
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-international-trade Department for International Trade – official website]
- [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/trade-remedies-authority Trade Remedies Authority]
- [https://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol16/pt1/pp197-202 History of Nos. 3–8, Whitehall Place]
Category:2016 establishments in the United Kingdom
Category:Government agencies established in 2016
Category:Ministries established in 2016
Category:Trade in the United Kingdom
Category:2023 disestablishments in the United Kingdom
Category:Government agencies disestablished in the 2020s
Category:Defunct departments of the Government of the United Kingdom