Catalogue description Board of Trade: British National Export Council: Minutes and Papers

The creation of the British National Export Council (BNEC) was announced by the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development in July 1964, following a review of the arrangements for fostering collectively the further expansion of the British export trade, and as a result of the decision to dissolve the Western Hemisphere Exports Council.

The BNEC first met in October 1964, and its terms of reference were to keep all British exports under constant review; to guide and inspire the best results in all actual and potential markets; to advise on the formation of area organisations necessary in connection with particular markets; to provide a means of co-ordination between all such organisations and of the country's export effort generally and to provide finance and common services to these ends.

The Council was originally sponsored by various industrial organisations, finance being provided by these organisations, private donations and by a grant-in-aid from the Board of Trade. The Chairman was appointed by the President of the Board of Trade, and other members included nominees of the Chairman, the Board of Trade, the Foreign Office and the sponsoring organisations, and were chosen for their personal and professional expertise in the fields of industry and international commerce.

In 1971 the Government reviewed its existing export promotion services and those provided by the BNEC which by this time had become almost totally Government-financed, and eventually it was announced by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry that the BNEC would be dissolved and replaced by a new British Export Board which would also take over the activities in export promotion that were currently carried out by Government Departments. The BNEC subsequently ceased to function on 31 December 1971.