Catalogue description Department of Trade and Department of Trade and Industry: International Trade Policy Division (and successors): Registered Files (ITP, TM, NK, SY and TJ Series)

The International Trade Policy Division (ITP) was primarily responsible for the UK interests in the EU’s common commercial policy, General Agreements of Tariffs and Trade (GATT) including the Uruguay Round, Multilateral Trade Negotiations, and the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The Division also contributed to general trade policy, tariff negotiations and issues, anti-dumping and market access covering a large range of industries. The European Community and Trade Relations Division (ECTR) was created 1994 and worked alongside ITP on cross-cutting matters. ECTR was primarily responsible for EC policy, including trade relations with the European Commission, the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), the European Economic Area (EEA) and North America, the former Soviet Union, and Central and Eastern Europe.

In 1996, the responsibilities of ITP and ECTR were re-distributed between the newly formed Trade Policy Directorate (TPE1), New Issues & Developing Countries (TPE2), Import Policy Directorate (TPE3), International Economic Directorate (TPE4) and Europe Directorate (TPE5) following a restructure in the Department of Trade and Industry. These directorates worked together on cross-cutting issues, often jointly inheriting and contributing to pre-existing record series. This was the case for the TM, NK, SY and TJ record series to which TPE1, TPE2, TPE3 and TPE5 contributed content.

TPE1 took over the main responsibility for trade relations and negotiations with the European Community, the World Trade Organisation and other major partners and organisations as reflected in the directorate’s structure. TPE1 consisted of four different sections: Head of International and European Community trade policy section (TPE1a), Head of World Trade Organisation (WTO) section (TPE1b), Head of North America section (TPE1c) and Head of Asia-Pacific section (TPE1d).

TPE2 took over responsibilities for competition policy, labour standards, trade in services, international investment policy, general trade policy and relations involving developing countries and combating bribery in international business transactions.

TPE3 took over responsibilities for general import issues, anti-dumping, textile trade issues, tariff negotiations, EC external tariff and GATT Customs Validation Code, general tariff issues, temporary duty suspensions, inward and outward processing relief and the UNESCO Florence Agreement.

TPE4 took over responsibilities for the financing of trade, commodities, economic aspects of external trade policy, economic evaluation of the Department’s export promotion schemes, UK trade and investment performance, providing economic advice on the economic prospects of developing country markets, providing advice on the single market and EU issues, supporting Aid and Trade applications and general economic analysis.

TPE5 took over responsibilities for state aid policy and advice, pursuing cases of UK interest involving other member states, co-ordination of WTO subsidy notifications, UK representation on OECD working parties, supporting businesses to take advantage of the single market, EU industrial policy, EU bilateral visits and finance, EU enlargement and EFTA and EEA trade policy.