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Series

Department of Trade and Industry: Overseas Trade Division 4 and successors: Registered...

Catalogue reference: NK 109

What's it about?

NK 109

This series contains registered files created by the Overseas Trade Division 4 (OT4) and its successors. The files primarily relate to exports and commercial relations with Iran, Iraq, Yemen and Bahrain. It includes evidence of meetings with...

Full description and record details

Reference
NK 109
Title
Department of Trade and Industry: Overseas Trade Division 4 and successors: Registered files
Date
1992-2000
Description

This series contains registered files created by the Overseas Trade Division 4 (OT4) and its successors. The files primarily relate to exports and commercial relations with Iran, Iraq, Yemen and Bahrain. It includes evidence of meetings with officials regarding economic development, major trade deals and trade disputes. It also includes papers relating to various construction projects, exports and procurement.

Some files originating from the GA series relate to the Arabian Peninsula Area Action Committee. The Committee aimed to encourage UK industry to pursue commercial opportunities in the Arabian Peninsula and to identity and solve any commercial or political problems.

The PAL prefix belonged to the Middle East, Near East, and North Africa Branch and relate to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)'s dealings with, or officials' visits to, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Files also contain the original masters of various DTI handouts giving guidance to UK businesses on trading with the West Bank and Gaza.

Arrangement

This series is arranged in former reference order.

Held by
The National Archives, Kew
Former department reference
IRN, BN, GA and PAL prefixes
Legal status
Public Record(s)
Language
English
Creator(s)
Department of Trade and Industry, 1983-2007
Physical description
6 file(s)
Access conditions
Open
Immediate source of acquisition

From 2026 Department for Business and Trade

Custodial history
These records were inherited by the Department for International Trade in 2016 and later transferred to the Department for Business and Trade in 2023
Accruals
Series is accruing
Administrative / biographical background

The Overseas Trade Division 4 (OT4) consisted of various branches which were responsible for exports and commercial relations with the Middle East, North Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Australasia, Mexico, Central America, Sub-Saharan Africa and India. Each regional branch focused on trade promotion and relations with that part of the world, preparing briefings on the area for ministers in preparation of visits and collating and distributing guidance on the area to the wider DTI and business world. The teams played a key role in the development of bilateral trade relations. OT4's responsibilities were distributed between Exports to Asia, Africa and Australasia (XAAA) and Exports to Europe and the Americas Division (XEA) in 1993. Sometime in 1996, XAAA and XEA were split into various Export Promotion Directorates.

Record URL
https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C21205379/

Catalogue hierarchy

Over 27 million records

This record is held at The National Archives, Kew

3,011 records

Within the department: NK

Records created or inherited by the Department of Trade and Industry

You are currently looking at the series: NK 109

Department of Trade and Industry: Overseas Trade Division 4 and successors: Registered files