Department for International Trade

The Department for International Trade (DIT[1]) is a United Kingdom government department 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] The department was created by Prime Minister Theresa May, shortly after she took office on 13 July 2016, following the United Kingdom's vote to leave the European Union.[3]

Department for International Trade

Department overview
Formed	14 July 2016
Preceding department	UK Trade & Investment; Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Jurisdiction	United Kingdom
Headquarters	3 Whitehall Place, London, SW1A
Minister responsible	Rt Hon. Elizabeth Truss, Secretary of State for International Trade, President of the Board of Trade
Department executives	Antonia Romeo, Permanent Secretary Crawford Falconer, Second Permanent Secretary and Chief Trade Negotiation Adviser
Child department	UK Export Finance
Website	Official website

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DIT's purpose is 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 new department is a specialised body with significant new trade negotiating capacity.

It took on the responsibilities of UK Trade and Investment, which was previously operated by both the Foreign and Commonwealth 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.[4] It is overseen by the Secretary of State for International Trade, currently Liz Truss.[2]

As of February 2017 the department employed about 200 trade negotiators.[5]

The UK Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) was set up to protect Britain from unfair global trading practices after Britain left the EU. It was intended to be a separate department, but as of April 2019 continued to be a "shadow organisation" within the Department for International Trade. In October 2018 Sir David Wright was designated to head it,[6] but in April 2019 he withdrew.[7]

The TRA was expected to be a key part of Britain's drive to expand world trade after leaving the EU. It was intended to propose measures to limit the importation of goods subsidised by foreign governments in detriment of British producers, and oppose tariffs imposed elsewhere on British imports.

Department for International Trade