The government yesterday (29 January) launched a “new global growth team” of UK trade envoys in markets around the world.
The business and trade secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, announced that 32 parliamentarians, “from across the political spectrum”, will be tasked with driving “UK exports and investment” in their target markets.
“Trade and investment are key to delivering economic growth, the number one mission of this Government and a key part of our plan for change,” said Reynolds.
“That’s why I’ve launched a new team of trade envoys, who will use their experience, expertise and knowledge to unlock new markets around the world for British businesses, drumming up investment into the UK and ultimately driving economic growth.”
Having trade envoys established around the world is a continuation of a policy from the previous Conservative government.
Key markets
Although bolstering trade ties with Europe remains a priority for Labour, the markets selected within the trade envoy programme will support its attempts to help firms seize “opportunities to access new markets further afield”.
Of particular note within the 32 assigned roles are:
- Former exports minister Afzal Khan being trade envoy to Türkiye
- Dan Carden remaining in post for Mexico
- Lord Tom Watson of Wyre Forest being appointed to South Korea
A full list can be found on the government’s announcement here. You can also watch our video interview with Dan Carden about the importance of his Trade Envoy role here.
The government has said that the new team will work closely with the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) in delivering the upcoming Trade Strategy.
Mandelson’s US role
Lord Peter Mandelson is also set to have a key role in maintaining and developing trade ties with a key market for the UK.
The former president of the Board of Trade, and long-time political adviser, is a step closer to becoming the UK’s ambassador to the US in Washington, with the Independent reporting that president Donald Trump has “agreed to accept his credentials”.
It had been being rumoured that this decision was in jeopardy due to “reports that US senators have handed a file to the FBI to investigate the Labour peer’s links to China”.
EU reset caught up in fishing dispute
Back in Europe, UK attempts to reset relations with the EU continue to falter, with France among the nations blocking a new security pact due to disputes over fishing rights and European demands of a youth mobility scheme.
“Everything is now seen as a quid pro quo,” an EU official told the FT, with both parties negotiating for a security deal that they hope to announce at a UK-EU summit due to be held in the first half of this year.
“[Member states] largely expect that a form of security and defence relationship with the UK will only advance in tandem with other parts of any reset package,” another source said.
The reports come against the backdrop of the first legal dispute between the UK and EU over UK’s ban on the fishing of sand eels in the North Sea.
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