The secretary of state for international trade, also referred to as the international trade secretary, is a secretary of state in the

Government of the United Kingdom ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_est ...

, with overall responsibility for the business of the Department for International Trade and UK Export Finance. The incumbent is a member of the

Cabinet of the United Kingdom The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the senior decision-making body of His Majesty's Government. A committee of the Privy Council, it is chaired by the prime minister and its members include secretaries of state and other senior ministers. ...

. Since the office's inception, the incumbent has concurrently been appointed

President of the Board of Trade The president of the Board of Trade is head of the Board of Trade. This is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, first established as a temporary committee of inquiry in the 17th century, that evolved gradually into a government ...

. The office holder works alongside the other International Trade ministers. The corresponding shadow minister is the

shadow secretary of state for international trade In British politics, the Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade is a position within the opposition's shadow cabinet that deals with issues surrounding UK trade negotiations. If elected, the person designated as Shadow Secretary of St ...

. The secretary of state is also scrutinised by the International Trade Select Committee. The incumbent is

Kemi Badenoch Olukemi Olufunto Badenoch ( ; née Adegoke, 2 January 1980) is a British politician serving as Secretary of State for International Trade, President of the Board of Trade and Minister for Women and Equalities since 2022. She previously served i ...

, following her appointment by Prime Minister

Liz Truss Mary Elizabeth Truss (born 26 July 1975) is a British politician who briefly served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from September to October 2022. On her fiftieth day in office, she stepped dow ...

in September 2022.

Responsibilities

Corresponding to what is generally known as a

commerce minister A Commerce minister (sometimes business minister, industry minister, trade minister or international trade minister) is a position in many governments that is responsible for regulating external trade and promoting economic growth (commercial polic ...

in many other countries, the international trade secretary's remit includes: * 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 International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories because there is a need or want of goods or services. (see: World economy) In most countries, such trade represents a significa ...

History

The office was created by Prime Minister

Theresa May Theresa Mary May, Lady May (; née Brasier; born 1 October 1956) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2016 to 2019. She previously served in David Cameron's cab ...

shortly after she took office on 13 July 2016, following the

2016 EU referendum The United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, commonly referred to as the EU referendum or the Brexit referendum, took place on 23 June 2016 in the United Kingdom (UK) and Gibraltar to ask the electorate whether the country shoul ...

. The office's powers were taken from the trade functions of the secretary of state for business, innovation and skills, which was recreated as the secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy 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.

List of secretaries of state

Colour key (for political parties):

References

External links

Department for International Trade Official Website
Ministerial offices in the United Kingdom Trade ministers of the United Kingdom 2016 establishments in the United Kingdom Trade in the United Kingdom Department for International Trade Ministries established in 2016 {{UK-gov-stub

Responsibilities

History

List of secretaries of state

See also

References

External links