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Trade Agreements

Asked by Andrew GriffithConservativeDepartment for Business and TradeTabled Answered 22 December 2025UIN 100662

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of his Department’s international trade advisors for negotiating new free trade agreements.

Answered by Chris Bryant

The Member is confusing two separate roles. Our International Trade Advisors (ITAs) support businesses to sell overseas: they do not conduct trade negotiations, which are led by chief negotiators, who are senior DBT officials.

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