Catalogue description Board of Trade: Export Promotion Department: Files

In April 1946 the Department of Overseas Trade was dissolved and its functions were transferred to the Board of Trade, where the transferred staff formed the Export Promotion Department. The Secretary for Overseas Trade became directly responsible to the President of the Board of Trade. The Exports Promotion Department was the executive instrument for fostering exports and providing economic intelligence.

On 1 January 1949 the Export Promotion Department merged with the Commercial Relations and Treaties Department of the Board of Trade (which had hitherto been responsible for formation of external commercial policy) to become the Commercial Relations and Exports Department, to provide one administrative unit for both trade policy and trade promotion. The post of Secretary of Overseas Trade was retained until September 1953, when it was replaced by a new office of Minister of State at the Board of Trade.