Department for International Trade

The UK is committed to ensure trade supports long-term climate action, in line with the Coalition of Trade Ministers’ principles of leadership, transparency, inclusivity and cooperation.

The Secretary of State attended the launch of this at the World Economic Forum in Davos this January and we continue to advocate for collective action at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other multilateral fora. For example, the UK has been a leading voice on the proposed G7-led ‘Climate Club’ – aiming to make it as inclusive as possible. Meanwhile, we are supporting the Net Zero transition through our Clean Growth export programme, foreign direct investment, UK Export Finance, and through overseas aid.

The UK has wholly or partially sanctioned £20 billion of UK-Russia goods trade – 96% of 2021 values. Compared to before the invasion, UK goods imports from Russia have fallen by 99.1%, and goods exports to Russia have fallen by 80%. Additional sanctions on services trade will further erode Russia’s ability to keep pace with Western countries.

Sanctions are starving Russia of advanced technologies and degrading their military capabilities, especially as many high-precision weapons rely on Western components.

We regularly engage states through our network of consulates on how we can enhance our strong, existing trade relationships. My predecessor also met with the Governor of Arkansas in April last year to discuss how we could boost trade further.

We welcome continued interest from states in strengthening trade ties and will continue to focus on how best we can work together to deliver the greatest impact for business.

The UK has secured a number of Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) on Good Manufacturing Practices for pharmaceutical products in recent years. They comprise standalone MRAs with the US, Australia and New Zealand, with similar commitments contained in our Free Trade Agreements with Japan, Switzerland, Israel and Canada. New Free Trade Agreement negotiations are ongoing with Israel and Canada.

The Department has not purchased any road legal vehicles in the past 24 months. It uses the Government Car Service for vehicle provision. Cars provided to Departments by the Government Car Service will be included in the return for the Department for Transport.

Government officials and Ministers regularly engage with the automotive industry to support the growth of British businesses and address market access barriers.

UK sector experts in the US engaged regularly with industry representatives in the formulation of the UK-South Carolina Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Trade officials further engaged the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and other industry representatives through the Department’s established Trade Advisory Groups. The UK will continue to engage industry in the delivery of this MOU in 2023.

As of 31 January 2023, this department employed UK-based staff in UK embassies in the following countries:

Algeria, Azerbaijan, Chile, China, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kuwait, Mexico, Morocco, Oman, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Myanmar.

UK-based staff in UK consulates in the following countries:

Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United States, Vietnam.

There is a range of HR information which is published on GOV.UK and therefore publicly available:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/sections-181-185-of-the-trade-union-and-labour-relations-consolidation-act-1992

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-international-trade

In addition, the Department for International Trade, now the Department for Business and Trade, meets regularly with their recognised Trade Unions and presents and shares a range of information and data where it is appropriate and in line with privacy statements. This helps inform decision making through negotiation, engagement and consultation as appropriate.

This department is therefore complying with section 181 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 and we always seek to work constructively with trade unions.

UK Export Finance (UKEF) have also provided a similar response to confirm that UKEF is therefore complying with section 181 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.

Between 14 April 2022 and 30 September 2022, the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) has not issued licences by exception for the export of luxury fashion items or cars for these specific companies to Russia. This is the latest period published in the Official Export Control Statistics.

Information on Russia Sanctions relating to luxury goods (as specified in Schedule 3A to the Regulations) can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/russia-sanctions-guidance/russia-sanctions-guidance

The Government takes the enforcement of sanctions very seriously, and any UK person or company anywhere in the world that is selling or exporting sanctioned goods to Russia, directly or indirectly, may be in breach of sanctions law and potentially faces a heavy fine or imprisonment.

Between 14 April 2022 and 30 September 2022, the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) has not issued licences by exception for the export of luxury fashion items or cars for these specific companies to Russia. This is the latest period published in the Official Export Control Statistics.

Information on Russia Sanctions relating to luxury goods (as specified in Schedule 3A to the Regulations) can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/russia-sanctions-guidance/russia-sanctions-guidance

The Government takes the enforcement of sanctions very seriously, and any UK person or company anywhere in the world that is selling or exporting sanctioned goods to Russia, directly or indirectly, may be in breach of sanctions law and potentially faces a heavy fine or imprisonment.

Between 14 April 2022 and 30 September 2022, the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) has not issued licences by exception for the export of luxury fashion items or cars for these specific companies to Russia. This is the latest period published in the Official Export Control Statistics.

Information on Russia Sanctions relating to luxury goods (as specified in Schedule 3A to the Regulations) can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/russia-sanctions-guidance/russia-sanctions-guidance

The Government takes the enforcement of sanctions very seriously, and any UK person or company anywhere in the world that is selling or exporting sanctioned goods to Russia, directly or indirectly, may be in breach of sanctions law and potentially faces a heavy fine or imprisonment.

The total cost of support from external recruitment consultants for 2020, 2021 and 2022 was £648,408.47. This covers support for recruiting substantive civil servants at delegated grades and Senior Civil Servants (SCS) grades and Non-Executive Directors (NEDs), at the Department for International Trade and UK Export Finance.

Recruitment consultant support is used when the department is looking to recruit for roles that require a specialised or senior skillset to ensure we maximise our reach, and to help attract external candidates.

I refer the hon. Member for Bristol East to the answer I gave her today, UIN 118845.

We are engaging closely with the US administration to address our serious concerns about the Inflation Reduction Act, as well as talking to our friends and allies across the world who are similarly affected, we will continue to robustly defend the interests of UK industry.

During the Secretary of State's visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos last month, the Inflation Reduction Act was atop of her agenda. She held meetings with US Trade Representative Katherine Tai to reaffirm her concerns about the legislation and a potential global subsidies race, as well as EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis, where she continued to push for both sides to work together and with other international partners on our response to the Inflation Reduction Act.

Pharmaceuticals are one of the UK’s top exports, valued at £20.3 billion in 2021, employing more than 136,000 people with a turnover of £64.2 billion. In line with the Export Strategy’s 12-point plan and as set out in the Board of Trade report on Life Sciences, the Department pursues an ambitious, targeted and strategic approach to promoting exports. This includes addressing market barriers, global defence of free trade, running novel innovation challenges, publishing targeted international sector-specific propositions and delivering focused export campaigns. These initiatives have been and continue to successfully showcase the UK's pharmaceutical national strengths to international audiences.

UK trade has been affected by several shocks in recent years, including the Covid Pandemic, exiting the EU and war in Ukraine. In the period since leaving the EU, the value of UK exports to the EU is back to pre-Covid levels. Latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics show that the UK total exports of goods and services to the EU were worth £330.2bn in the 12 months to September 2022. This represents an overall increase of 10% in current prices compared to pre-Covid levels in 2018, with services exports growing by 12% in current prices in this period.

The question answered on 27 January, UIN: 126639, made reference to both diversity and diaspora, and the response from my Hon. Friend for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, the former Parliamentary-Under Secretary of State for Exports, highlighted our department’s commitment to diversity, however, we do not hold data on the involvement of diverse diaspora in trade delegations.

The Department for International Trade, now known as the Department for Business and Trade, is responsible for the day-to-day management of the programme and each Trade Envoy has a Civil Servant relationship manager. Relationship managers act as the Trade Envoy’s point of contact, coordinating their activity and provide administrative support when they undertake overseas visits, by arranging flights, visas, a programme of activity and briefing.

The Trade Envoy role is unpaid, but this department meets the costs of any travel expenditure such as transport and accommodation to allow them to carry out their role.

Trade Envoys are Parliamentarians appointed by the Prime Minister to support the Government’s trade and investment agenda in one or more specific markets. They report to my Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State and are ultimately accountable to the Prime Minister.

HM Trade Commissioners are senior Civil Servants recruited under fair and open competition and appointed to head the overseas operations for this department. They are accountable to the Permanent Secretary and ultimately to the Secretary of State.

The Department for International Trade, now known as the Department for Business and Trade, works to support UK businesses in their trading endeavors in the Dominican Republic and Colombia.

This includes promotional activity in the UK, such as the upcoming LATAC Roadshow where our experts will showcase opportunities in these markets for UK businesses. Additionally, my noble Friend Baroness Hooper and my Hon. Friend for Fylde are active Trade Envoys for these countries, engaging with businesses in the UK and abroad.

Following recent Ministerial visits, the Government has hosted a senior Colombian rail delegation to promote UK expertise in this sector and is pursuing an ambitious multi-billion pound pipeline of infrastructure projects in the Dominican Republic.

Trade Envoys are appointed by the Prime Minister to support the Government’s trade and investment objectives. Trade Envoys add value in their respective markets, through the soft power influence they bring in developing relationships with key influencers and feedback has been very positive. Trade Envoys are one part of the Department’s support for British businesses seeking to export and win contracts overseas and we do not separate out the impact of Trade Envoys from our broader departmental work.

Due to travel restrictions arising from Covid 19 and FCDO’s strict advice not to travel due to the ongoing war, the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Ukraine has been unable to visit since being appointed.

However, the Department for International Trade, now known as the Department for Business and Trade, has delivered trade sanctions to help cripple Putin’s war machine, agreed a Digital Trade Agreement with Ukraine, removed all tariffs under the UK-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement, and continues to play a big role in supporting Ukrainian reconstruction efforts.

A total of 258 and 164 applications have been submitted to the UK Tradeshow Programme, seeking support to either exhibit at, or attend, overseas trade shows respectively.

Forecasted spend for 2022-23 is £228k for exhibitor support and £53k for support to attendees. In addition, there is a further £16k of spend on Export Academy training across both elements of the programme.

A total of 258 and 164 applications have been submitted to the UK Tradeshow Programme, seeking support to either exhibit at, or attend, overseas trade shows respectively.

Forecasted spend for 2022-23 is £228k for exhibitor support and £53k for support to attendees. In addition, there is a further £16k of spend on Export Academy training across both elements of the programme.

The Government sees huge potential to grow trade with US states by promoting UK business, tackling barriers, and attracting investment.

Building on Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) concluded last year with Indiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina, the Government is actively engaging with further states, including Oklahoma, Utah, Texas, and California.

Signature is just the start. Using MoUs to deliver results for business, the UK has already completed working groups with Indiana and North Carolina, which highlighted opportunities in government procurement and offshore wind respectively. The Government will hold expanded sessions with each state involving UK industry later this year.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) and UK Export Finance (UKEF) conduct Equality Impact Assessments (EQIA) as part of internal process where there is anticipated to be a people-related impact of change to policy, process, or organisational design. These are conducted through engagement with departmental networks and Trade Unions. EQIA documentation is for internal use and therefore is not routinely published.

As part of internal processes, DIT and UKEF both consult with Departmental Trade Unions when introducing new policies or incorporating major changes to existing policies and guidance.

The UK and Taiwan share a deep, £8bn trade and investment relationship. Longstanding Trade Talks with Taiwan are held annually to boost trade and support economic growth. In November 2022 my Rt. Hon. Friend for Chelsea and Fulham, the former Minister of State for Trade Policy, co-hosted the UK-Taiwan 25^th annual Trade Talks in Taipei, during which discussions were held on areas of mutual interest, including on barriers to trade in sectors like fintech, food and drink and pharma, aimed at helping more UK firms export and invest in Taiwan. We are exploring a range of opportunities to further enhance our trade partnership.

Two rounds of negotiations on a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have been held, covering all the objectives outlined in the UK’s Strategic Approach. The UK has exchanged draft chapter text with the GCC across most policy areas.

The Department does not currently operate a policy which enables staff to sell annual leave. The Department has not notified staff to (a) tell or (b) remind them that they can sell annual leave in the last four months.

The Strategic Trade Advisory Group and Civil Society Roundtable last met on 13 June 2022. There are eleven Trade Advisory Groups and the most recent meeting for a group took place on 2 December 2022. There are ten Thematic Working Groups, and the most recent meeting was on 26 January 2023.

We support our food producers through all stages of their export journey to the EU. This includes the Export Support Service, GREAT.gov.uk platform, the Export Academy, UK Export Finance and high profile events and trade shows such as SIAL in France and Anuga in Germany. The Department for International Trade has a network of agriculture, food and drink trade advisers across EU markets overseen by our Trade Commissioner in Europe

We have also established a new Food and Drink Export Council which brings together the UK Government, Devolved Administrations, and industry, to harness collective capability, expertise, and resources in boosting UK food and drink exports to global markets, including Europe.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) routinely captures and monitors personal information as specified in section 2.1.6 of the Civil Service Management Code from candidates and staff to ensure best practice and legal compliance. DIT uses Equality Impact Assessments to examine the impacts of policies and processes on the Department’s workforce and take action to mitigate against any unintended impacts.

The data gathered is shared with trade union representatives where appropriate. Detailed information on the Civil Service workforce is collected and published centrally as part of the Annual Civil Service Employment Statistics and can be found on Gov.uk.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him today, UIN 128655.

The Government is continuing to drive forward Manifesto commitments on science and technology including increasing both public and private investment in R&D, across all regions of the UK.

Our High Potential Opportunities Programme, which can be found on our Investment Atlas presents commercially attractive investment opportunities from across the UK to investors. Examples include immersive technology in the Northeast and MedTech health in Wales.

This year we have delivered 18 Trade Missions to advance our trade and investment ambitions, including a mission to the Smart City Expo in Barcelona, November 2022 where a globally renowned digital consultancy firm, with a UK branch in the Hon. Member’s constituency, attended.

The Export Client Survey launched in 2018 and the findings for the 2018-2019 financial year have been published: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/trade-export-client-survey-ecs.

During the 2022-23 financial year, the Internationalisation Fund has paid £7 million to 1,093 exporters in England as of 20 January 2023.

The Department makes use of customs data to monitor and better understand patterns of demand for imports and exports of goods and is continuously looking at ways improve and integrate complex datasets and techniques further.

The Department also uses customs data from HMRC and UN COMTRADE to analyse trade flows in the context of supply chains. This is done to improve the visibility of UK critical supply chains and inform government resilience strategies. The Department also leads a cross-Government project called the ‘Global Supply Chains Intelligence Pilot’ which aims to combine government and commercial datasets, along with big data analytics, to map global supply chains.

My Department will introduce the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) in early 2023, which will facilitate Somalia’s integration into global supply chains through reformed rules of origin and allow 99% of goods exported from Somalia duty-free access to UK markets.

The Department for International Trade’s Export Support Service also provides specialist overseas support to small-and-medium-sized UK businesses looking to export and grow in Africa, including Somalia.

The Secretary of State had important discussions at the World Economic Forum on strengthening the multilateral trading system, including by achieving a fully functioning World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement system. These included bilateral meetings with the US, European Commission and other allies, a meeting with the WTO Director General, attendance at the Coalition of Trade Ministers on Climate, and a WTO mini-ministerial.

On 12-13 December 2022 the Secretary of State for International Trade visited India to meet the Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, and to initiate the sixth round of the UK-India Free Trade Agreement negotiations. A written ministerial statement on the latest negotiation round can be found here.

The Department has not purchased any mobile UV virus irradiation units.

The Government is committed to driving mutual prosperity between the UK and Nepal, enabling UK businesses to take full advantage of Nepal’s high growth sectors such as renewable energy, education and retail. Officials have worked with colleagues in country to remove barriers to trade, such as the recent lifting of import restrictions on luxury goods, and the removal of a lock-in period for foreign funds investing in Nepal. In January the Department for International Trade supported a Clean Growth and Infrastructure event in Kathmandu for industry and Government, focusing on improving standards and regulations for the sector.

The government has committed to publishing evaluations of each of the UK-Japan, UK-Australia and UK-New Zealand agreements, within 5 years of each agreement’s entry into force.

The UK is home to a vibrant Indian diaspora that contributes to the UK’s culture, innovation, and economy.

To help support the growth of UK businesses with trade and investment opportunities in India, including business delegations, the Department for International Trade (DIT) engages with groups such as the UK India Business Council, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the Confederation of Indian Industry and the India (Trade and Investment) All Party Parliamentary Group, as well as the relevant teams at the High Commission of India. These organisations engage with a wide range of groups in the UK and India.