The Department for International Trade has 131 Trade Missions currently planned over the next six months. Businesses are identified through Trade Associations and our UK-wide business networks.

Whilst my Department does not hold a central list of all historic missions from UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) as well as DIT, on reviewing available data, we estimate that over the last five years DIT and its predecessor UKTI have delivered in excess of 500 formal overseas trade missions to more than 80 countries. The figure may well be higher, as my Department operates in 108 countries globally, and not all facilitated visits are formally recorded as trade missions.

The information is not readily available/held centrally but our estimate is that at least 18 Northern Ireland companies have participated in Department for International Trade run overseas trade missions in 2018.

Sporting National Governing Bodies are invited to participate in trade missions where appropriate. The Department for International Trade runs trade missions promoting the sports economy and the business opportunities related to this sector. These missions are open to sports economy related companies and/or organisations looking to do business overseas, and DIT market these events and missions widely to relevant companies. DIT encourage federations and national governing bodies, as well as businesses, to participate in order to help us promote UK sporting excellence and expertise overseas.

The Department for International Trade, alongside other Government Departments, works to take full advantage of world class sporting events hosted in the UK. DIT run inward missions to showcase UK expertise and promote trade to visiting delegations. DIT ran an International Observer Programme during the 2017 World Athletics Championships which included delegations from several countries. In 2015 DIT hosted a Japanese delegation during the Rugby World Cup. DIT continue to plan similar missions to run alongside future sporting events, such as the Cricket World Cup later this year. DIT recognises the value of sporting events hosted overseas to further the UK’s trading relationships and has delivered activities such as British Houses and business delegations at major sporting events for this purpose. DIT are looking forward to making the most of opportunities offered around Rugby World Cup 2019 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

We are currently finalising our plans for the next financial year, including working with regions across the UK, other Government Departments, such as DFID, and partners in the private sector to deliver an ambitious programme to support delivery of the aspirations and step-change in our relationship with Africa the Prime Minister set out during her visit 2018.

Initial plans already include a range of missions across Africa, focussing on priority sectors from Healthcare and Rail Infrastructure to Agri-tech, and Legal Services.

Details of international trade missions for the next 12 months will be placed in the libraries of the House shortly.

Recruitment for trade missions takes place in the months leading up to each event. During recruiting, companies are targeted from across the UK, including Northern Ireland.

Details of international trade missions for the next 12 months will be placed in the libraries of the House shortly.

Recruitment for trade missions takes place in the months leading up to each event. During recruiting, companies are targeted from across the UK, including Northern Ireland.

The Department of International Trade worked alongside colleagues from across the UK and its devolved administrations to identify companies to join the Prime Minister’s business delegation. This process included wide consultation with our counterpart, Scottish Development International.

Each of the nine English regions and the three devolved administrations were represented in the 50-strong delegation, including two Scottish based small and medium-sized enterprises – the Scotch Whisky Association and NPL Group. One large Scottish company, Standard Life Aberdeen, was also represented on the delegation.

In total, three small and medium-sized companies and two large Scottish companies were invited to participate in the visit.

All UK companies, including those located or operating in Scotland, are able to access the Department for International Trade's (DIT) national events and missions programme. This is viewable on great.gov.uk which is promoted nationally.

The most recent trade mission to China in 2017 was for the Airports sector and ran from 27^{th _} 30^th November. One Scottish company took part in this trade mission. They have received ongoing support from DIT.

Higher education opportunities overseas are likely to be relevant to a broad range of UK higher education institutions and we thus seek to ensure that the widest grouping of providers is invited to participate. We promote trade missions via a diverse network of higher education representative groups, as well as to the institutions themselves, in both public and private sectors.

All UK companies, including those located or operating in Scotland, are able to access the Department for International Trade’s (DIT) national events and missions programme. This is viewable on great.gov.uk which is promoted nationally. DIT keeps a record of all companies who take part in trade missions so that we can ensure we continue to support them throughout their export journey, including any export wins. In the first six months of this financial year, 19 Scottish companies took part in missions organised by DIT.

The Department for International Trade undertook 139 trade missions outside of the United Kingdom in 2017, in 43 countries as follows:

Australia, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ethiopia, Estonia, France, Germany, Ghana, Guinea, India, Iran, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United States, Vietnam, and Zambia.

Of these missions, eight were supported by the Department’s Ministers, in eight countries as follows:

Ethiopia, Uganda (Secretary of State for International Trade, Rt Hon Liam Fox)

China (Minister of State for Trade & Export Promotion, Baroness Fairhead)

Spain, United States (Minister of State for Trade Policy, Rt. Hon Greg Hands)

France, Germany, India (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Investment, Mark Garnier)

All UK companies including those located or operating in the North East are able to access the Department for International Trade’s (DIT) national events and missions programme. This is available to view on GREAT.gov.uk which is promoted nationally.

In addition, the North East benefits from participation in the specific DIT Northern Powerhouse (NPH) trade missions programme. The DIT North East team work closely with northern organisations and the UK’s global HMG network to assist companies who are participating in any trade mission, either NPH or national. A full list of NPH missions is published on the internet, as are all DIT national events and missions.

The Department for International Trade, formerly UKTI, has supported 7,181 unique businesses through outward missions and 4,333 unique businesses through inward missions since the financial year 2010-11 through to end FY2015-16.

The estimate for the total anticipated value of outward missions since FY2010-11, based on firm-level data collected through our internal DIT (UKTI) client survey, is £6.42 billion in additional sales. This equates to an average of £893,000 in additional sales per unique business supported.

The comparable estimate for inward missions is £2.64 billion in additional sales since 2010-11. This equates to an average of £609,000 in additional sales per unique business supported.

The Northern Powerhouse Trade Mission to Gulfood was to support food and drink businesses. The trade mission was open to businesses in the north to join so they can promote their products to an international audience. The Department for International Trade’s role is to help companies to export. My hon Friend the Minister of State for Farming, Food and the Marine Environment (George Eustice) visited Gulfood to promote British food and drink exports, in particular British lamb for which we have recently secured market access with Kuwait.

The Northern Powerhouse Trade Mission to Gulfood was targeted to all businesses in the north who want to export. Any businesses expressing an interest were guided to take into account the nature of the trade show that suits particular types of businesses or products so they could make an informed decision as to whether this is the right trade show for them to attend. Agricultural Industry representatives did not attend the Trade Mission but, were welcome to join, however the core target audience were commercial businesses.

The Northern Powerhouse Trade Mission to Gulfood was targeted to all businesses in the north who want to export. Any businesses expressing an interest were guided to take into account the nature of the trade show that suits particular types of businesses or products so they could make an informed decision as to whether this is the right trade show for them to attend. British Food and Drink Industry representatives did not attend the Trade Mission but, were welcome to join, however the core target audience were commercial businesses.

The Northern Powerhouse Trade Mission to Gulfood was to support food and drink businesses and was promoted to all businesses in the north to join. A number of the businesses participating are potentially connected to farming by nature of their products, but membership of the National Farmers’ Union is not a criteria we require or record from participants.