Department for International Trade
The Department for International Trade is a United Kingdom government department responsible for striking and extending trade agreements between the United Kingdom and non EU states, as well as for encouraging foreign investment and export trade. 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.
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. It is overseen by the Secretary of State for International Trade, currently Liz Truss.
the department employed about 200 trade negotiators.
The UK Trade Remedies Authority 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 2019 continued to be a "shadow organisation" within the Department for International Trade. In October 2018 Sir David Wright was designated to head it, but in April 2019 he withdrew.
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.
Ministers
The Ministers in the Department for International Trade are as follows:| Minister | Rank | Portfolio |
| The Rt Hon. Liz Truss MP | Secretary of State President of the Board of Trade Minister for Women and Equalities | |
| The Rt Hon. Greg Hands MP | Minister of State for Trade Policy | export controls, WTO relations, tariff policy, securing new free trade agreements |
| The Rt Hon. The Lord Grimstone of Boscobel | Minister of State for Investment | |
| Graham Stuart MP | Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Exports | Export policy and strategy, UK Export Finance, Department's Defence & Security Organisation, trade missions |
| Kemi Badenoch MP | Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Equalities | |
| The Rt Hon. The Baroness Berridge | Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Women | |
| Ranil Jayawardena MP | Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Trade Policy | future and continuity trade agreements, barriers to market access, trade remedies, trade dialogues |