Liz Truss appoints two new trade commissioners for Europe
Liz Truss has today appointed two new HM trade commissioners who will be charged with attracting greater foreign investment in the UK.
Trade commissioners are appointed for nine different global regions and are tasked with working with diplomats and civil servants to promote the UK’s international trade interests.
The international trade secretary hired her department’s former acting director general of trade negotiations Chris Barton as a European trade commissioner and previous deputy commissioner for Europe Kenan Poleo was given a bump up to trade commissioner for Europe and Central Asia.
Barton said the UK-EU post-Brexit trade deal “provides a strong basis for further opportunities”.
“It is my job to build on these firm foundations, encouraging trade and investment between the UK and other European countries by reducing barriers to UK trade in Europe, helping UK businesses to export to Europe, attracting inward investment from Europe, and championing the rules-based international trading system with Europe,” he said.
Truss said “our relationships with our closest trading partner Europe and with Central Asia remain extremely important”.
“I’m delighted to welcome Chris and Kenan as Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioners. They bring proven expertise and a wealth of knowledge to help British businesses succeed in this new trading landscape and take advantage of new opportunities as we strike trade agreements,” she said.
UK-EU trade suffered earlier this year, after Britain left the customs union and single market.
UK exports to the EU plummeted in January, after Brussels immediately imposed new red tape for goods entering the bloc.
However, trade figures have since rebounded and are now higher than they were last year.