Department for Trade and Industry: Trade Policy Directorate (TPE1) and predecessors:...

This series contains registered files (GG and NM Series) of the Trade Policy Directorate (TPE1) (and predecessors). Files in this series primarily relate to UK trade relations, agreements, policy and interactions with the European Union, the World Trade Organisation and the United States. They cover a number of key industries, including steel manufacturing, aerospace, shipbuilding, textiles, agriculture and anti-dumping. The series also includes meeting minutes of the Trade Policy Group Secretariat from 1999 onwards.

Records arranged by former reference

See also PJ 12

• Department for Business and Trade, 2023-2024
• Department of Trade and Industry, European Community and Trade Relations Division, 1994-1999
• Department of Trade and Industry, Trade Policy Directorate, 1996-2002

From 2024 Department for Business and Trade

Topics

Manufacturing

Trade and commerce

Europe and Russia

Americas

Farming

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.

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).

From 1999, TPE1 took on responsibility for the Trade Policy Group Secretariat. The Trade Policy Group provided a forum to discuss the UK's approach to trade. The group addressed key challenges relating to trade, including relations with the World Trade Organisation and the UK's interactions with the European Commission.