Department for International Trade

Last updated

Department for International Trade
Department for International Trade logo.svg
Department overview
Formed14 July 2016
Preceding department
Dissolved7 February 2023
Superseding department
Jurisdiction Government of the United Kingdom
HeadquartersOld Admiralty Building, Admiralty Place, Whitehall, LONDON, SW1A 2DY
Minister responsible
Department executive
Child department
Website gov.uk/dit

The Department for International Trade (DIT) [1] 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. [2]

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. [2] 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. [3]

The department was scrutinised by the International Trade Select Committee.

History

The entrance to the Department for International Trade's headquarters off Whitehall, Central London No. 3 Whitehall Place.jpg
The entrance to the Department for International Trade's headquarters off Whitehall, Central London

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. [4] 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. [5] 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. [6] 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. [7]

The department was dissolved on 7 February 2023, and its functions and personnel transferred to the new Department for Business and Trade. [8]

Ministers

The final roster of Ministers in the Department for International Trade were as follows: [9]

MinisterRankTitlePortfolio
Kemi Badenoch MPSecretary of State Secretary of State
President of the Board of Trade
Minister for Women and Equalities 		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. [10]

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. [11]

Greg Hands MPMinister 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. [12]
Dominic Johnson, Baron Johnson of Lainston Minister of State Minister for Investment 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. [13]

This role has typically been the domain of a member of the House of Lords.

Nigel Huddleston MPParliamentary Under-Secretary of StateMinister for International TradeThe 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. [14]
Andrew Bowie MPParliamentary Under-Secretary of StateMinister for ExportsThe 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. [15] [16]
Maria Caulfield MPParliamentary Under-Secretary of State Minister for Women Supporting the Secretary of State in their role as Minister for Women and Equalities.
Stuart Andrew MPParliamentary Under-Secretary of State Minister for Equalities 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. [17]

Following Royal Assent of the Trade Act 2021 [18] TRID became an independent arms-length body, the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA), on 1 June 2021. [19] The Authority is based in Reading. [20]

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References

  1. ↑ "Department for International Trade". GOV.UK. GOV.UK. 28 July 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  2. 1 2 "About us – Department for International Trade". GOV.UK. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  3. ↑ Crerar, Pippa; Elgot, Jessica (7 February 2023). "Rishi Sunak appoints Greg Hands as Conservative party chair in cabinet mini-reshuffle". The Guardian. The Guardian. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  4. ↑ CSW and Politics Home staff (13 July 2016). "Theresa May signals Whitehall rejig with two new Cabinet posts". Civil Service World. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  5. ↑ "Machinery of Government Changes:Written statement - HCWS94". UK Parliament. 18 July 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  6. ↑ "Board of Trade". GOV.UK. UK Government. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  7. ↑ Trading places / Negotiating post-Brexit deals. Economist, February 4th-10th 2017, page 25
  8. ↑ Boscia, Stefan (7 February 2023). "Rishi Sunak merges UK trade and business departments in Whitehall shake-up". Politico. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  9. ↑ "Our ministers". GOV.UK. UK Government. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  10. ↑ "Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade". GOV.UK. UK Government. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  11. ↑ "Minister for Women and Equalities". GOV.UK. UK Government. Retrieved 17 November 2022. UKOpenGovernmentLicence.svg Text was copied from this source, which is available under an Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright.
  12. ↑ "Minister of State (Minister for Trade Policy)". GOV.UK. UK Government. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  13. ↑ "Minister of State (Minister for Investment)". GOV.UK. UK Government. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  14. ↑ "Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for International Trade)". GOV.UK. UK Government. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  15. ↑ "Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Exports)". GOV.UK. UK Government. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  16. ↑ "GREAT campaign drives growth across the four corners of the UK". GOV.UK. 30 September 2022. Retrieved 18 November 2022. UKOpenGovernmentLicence.svg Text was copied from this source, which is available under an Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright.
  17. ↑ "About us". GOV.UK. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  18. ↑ "Historic Trade Act becomes law". GOV.UK. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  19. ↑ "About us". GOV.UK. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  20. ↑ Trade Remedies Authority, Contact the Trade Remedies Authority, accessed 26 September 2022
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