Trade Promotion

Question

The Department for International Trade (DIT) has organised its overseas teams into nine regions, which are led by the nine HM Trade Commissioners (HMTCs). This provides a highly engaged overseas leadership team to drive forward DIT’s future trade strategy and priorities overseas. The responsibilities of the HMTCs are:

• To work with partners in DIT headquarters and overseas to develop a Regional Trade Plan encompassing export promotion, investment and trade policy.

• To set a clear vision and provide direction to the Department’s operations in the region.

• To take responsibility for the UK’s commercial relationship with all the markets in their region, working closely with Heads of Mission, DIT Heads of Trade, and a wide range of stakeholders.

HM Trade Commissioners are based in cities across the nine regions as follows:

• New York (HMTC for North America)

• Sao Paulo (HMTC for Latin America and Caribbean)

• Johannesburg (HMTC for Africa)

• Dubai (HMTC for Middle East)

• Istanbul (HMTC for Eastern Europe and Central Asia Network)

• Mumbai (HMTC for South Asia)

• Beijing (HMTC for China & Hong Kong)

• Singapore (HMTC for Asia Pacific)

• Milan (HMTC for Europe)

The budgets delegated at the start of 2018-19 to each HMTC are set below. Wider DIT budgets also support the delivery of HMTC objectives but are not set at a regional level:

The priorities and objectives for each HMTC are outlined in Regional Trade Plans (RTPs). These RTPs are currently in development.