UK PM announces new Trade Envoys to boost British business around the world

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has today [Monday 23rd August 2021] appointed ten Trade Envoys who will boost British business in dynamic markets such as Australia, Brazil and Canada.

These Trade Envoys – including Lord Botham, David Mundell MP and Conor Burns MP – will use their skills, experience, and market knowledge to help UK businesses find new export and investment opportunities and promote UK trade in their allocated market.

The Government already has Trade Envoys in more than 60 countries, drawn from a cross-section of parties, with Baroness Hoey, Stephen Timms MP, Lord Walney and Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP being appointed in this round.

Trade Envoys will build on the UK’s strong relations with key trading countries and work with the Department for International Trade’s global network to break down barriers to trade.

International Trade Secretary, Liz Truss, said:

“Our Trade Envoys play a key role in delivering our ambitious global trade agenda, and I am delighted the Prime Minister has appointed ten Trade Envoys who will boost opportunities for British businesses in some of the world’s fastest growing markets.

“By boosting exports, promoting inward investment and creating high-value, high-paying jobs, our Trade Envoys will help us build back better from Covid-19, ensuring every part of the UK benefits from our trade strategy.”

Trade Envoys are parliamentarians appointed by the Prime Minister, drawn from both Houses and across the political spectrum. The roles are unpaid and voluntary. These new appointments bring the total number of Trade Envoys who help support the UK’s trade and investment agenda to 36, covering 76 different countries.

They work alongside the joint No.10-DIT Office for Investment to encourage greater inward investment across the UK.

Minister of State for Trade Policy, Greg Hands, said:

“From Norway to New Zealand, Pakistan to Brazil, our Trade Envoys will help increase UK trade with some of the world’s most exciting and dynamic markets and showcase the UK as a great place to invest.”

In 2020/21, Trade Envoys supported over £16 billion of UK exports as part of DIT’s export promotion activity. Exports are central to the government’s ambition to level-up the UK and build back better, with government-commissioned research estimating that exports support 6.5 million jobs across the UK in 2016, 74% of which were outside London.

The full list of new appointments is below:

• Lord Botham appointed to Australia
• Baroness Hoey appointed to Ghana
• Stephen Timms MP appointed to Switzerland and Liechtenstein
• David Mundell MP appointed to New Zealand
• Mark Eastwood MP appointed to Pakistan
• Marco Longhi MP appointed to Brazil
• Conor Burns MP appointed to Canada
• Lord Walney [John Woodcock] appointed to Tanzania
• Felicity Buchan MP appointed to Iceland and Norway
• Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP appointed to Cameroon, in addition to his role as Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Egypt.