Secretary of State for International Trade

{{Infobox official post

| post = Secretary

| body = State
for International Trade

| flag =

| flagsize =

| flagcaption =

| insignia = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg

| insigniasize =

| insigniacaption = Royal Arms of His Majesty's Government

| image =

| incumbent =

| incumbentsince =

| department = Department for International Trade

| style = International Trade Secretary
(informal)
The Right Honourable
(UK and the Commonwealth)

| member_of = Cabinet
Privy Council
Board of Trade

| reports_to = The Prime Minister

| status = Secretary of state
Minister of the Crown

| seat = Westminster

| appointer = The Crown

| appointer_qualified = on advice of the Prime Minister

| termlength = At His Majesty's Pleasure

| formation = 13 July 2016

| abolished = 7 February 2023

| first = Liam Fox

| website =

}}{{Short description|Former cabinet position in the UK Government}}

The Secretary of State for International Trade, also referred to as the International Trade Secretary, was a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with overall responsibility for the business of the Department for International Trade and UK Export Finance.{{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|access-date=30 June 2021|website=gov.uk|language=}} The incumbent was a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. During the office's lifetime, the incumbent was concurrently appointed President of the Board of Trade.

The office holder worked alongside the other International Trade ministers. The corresponding shadow minister was the shadow secretary of state for international trade. The secretary of state was also scrutinised by the International Trade Select Committee.{{cite web |url=https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/367/international-trade-committee/news/120498/committee-to-question-liz-truss-on-work-of-her-department/ |title=Committee to question Liz Truss on work of her Department |work=parliament.uk |date=3 November 2020 |access-date=20 September 2021 |quote=The International Trade Committee will meet on Wednesday 4 November, to take virtual evidence from the Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade, Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP.}}

The final officeholder was Kemi Badenoch, following her appointment by Prime Minister Liz Truss in September 2022; she was subsequently reappointed by Rishi Sunak in October 2022.{{Cite web |title=UK Prime Minister twitter |url=https://twitter.com/10downingstreet/status/1567250625204731905 |access-date=2022-09-06 |website=Twitter |language=en}} In February 2023, the position was abolished, with its duties merging with those of the Business Secretary to become Secretary of State for Business and Trade.

Responsibilities

Corresponding to what is generally known as a commerce minister in many other countries, the international trade secretary's remit included:

Forming new free trade agreements for the United Kingdom
Managing the development of freeports across Britain
Maintaining current trade agreements with other countries
Supporting British businesses with international trade{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/secretary-of-state-for-international-trade|title=Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade|website=gov.uk}}

History

The office was created by Prime Minister Theresa May shortly after she took office on 13 July 2016, following the 2016 EU referendum. The office's powers were taken from the trade functions of the secretary of state for business, innovation and skills,[https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2016/992/made The Secretaries of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for International Trade and for Exiting the European Union and the Transfer of Functions (Education and Skills) Order 2016] Article 9(1). which was recreated as the secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy[https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2016/992/made The Secretaries of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for International Trade and for Exiting the European Union and the Transfer of Functions (Education and Skills) Order 2016] Article 3. as part of a wider government reorganisation.

While the office of Secretary of State for International Trade provided trade services in the post-EU-referendum period, other departments and offices continued to play a role, e.g. DEFRA provided services to the EU and beyond.{{cite web |last1=Eustice |first1=George |url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2022-11-14/debates/9F6BE62D-316D-4DAA-95C2-218CE670219D/AustraliaAndNewZealandTradeDeals |website=Hansard |access-date=2023-06-18 |title= Australia and New Zealand Trade Deals |url-status=live |lang=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420190542/http://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2022-11-14/debates/9F6BE62D-316D-4DAA-95C2-218CE670219D/AustraliaAndNewZealandTradeDeals |archive-date=2023-04-20}}

List of secretaries of state

Colour key (for political parties):

{{Legend2|{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|Conservative|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Secretary of State for International Trade

! colspan=3 | Secretary of State

! colspan=2 |Term of office

! Party

! Ministry

style="height:1em"

! style="background-color: {{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}; border:none" |

| rowspan=2 | 75px

| rowspan=2 | Liam Fox{{Cite web|url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/223/career |title=Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP |work=UK Parliament |access-date=20 September 2021}}
{{Small|MP for North Somerset}}

| rowspan=2 | 13 July 2016

| rowspan=2 | 24 July 2019

| rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | May I

style="height:1em"

! style="background-color: {{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}; border:none" |{{Zwsp}}

| rowspan=1 {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | May II

style="height:1em"

! rowspan=2 style="background-color: {{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}; border:none" |

| rowspan=2 | 75px

| rowspan=2 | Liz Truss{{Cite web|url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/4097/career |title=Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP |work=UK Parliament |access-date=20 September 2021}}
{{Small|MP for South West Norfolk}}

| rowspan=2 | 24 July 2019

| rowspan=2 | 15 September 2021

| rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Johnson I

style="height:1em"

| rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Johnson II

style="height:1em"

! style="background-color: {{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}; border:none" |

| 75px

| Anne-Marie Trevelyan{{Cite web|url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/4531/career |title=Rt Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP |work=UK Parliament |access-date=20 September 2021}}
{{Small|MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed}}

| 15 September 2021

| 6 September 2022

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

style="height:1em"

! rowspan=2 style="background-color: {{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}; border:none" |

| rowspan=2 | File:Kemi Badenoch official Cabinet Portrait; 2022 (cropped).jpg

| rowspan=2 | Kemi Badenoch
{{Small|MP for Saffron Walden}}

| rowspan=2 |6 September 2022

| rowspan=2 |7 February 2023

| rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

|{{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Truss

style="height:1em"