UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces new Trade Envoy to Japan

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has today (Thursday 5 May) appointed Greg Clark MP as Trade Envoy to Japan.

Clark has held positions in HM Treasury and then the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, where he served as Secretary of State.

The UK has applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), one of the largest and most exciting free-trading clubs in the world. Japan is its largest economy and the UK’s 13th largest trading partner. Strengthening our relationship is key to the UK’s tilt towards the Indo-Pacific region, expected to be home to half the world’s 2.3 billion middle-class consumers by the end of the decade. Trade Envoys promote UK trade and encourage inward investment from across the world.

Clark’s appointment takes the total to 37 Trade Envoys covering 77 markets across the globe. Trade Envoys are parliamentarians appointed by the Prime Minister, drawn from both Houses and across the political sphere. The role is unpaid and voluntary.

UK International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said:

I welcome the Prime Minister’s appointment of Greg Clark MP as the new Trade Envoy to Japan. Our Trade Envoys play a vital role in promoting Global Britain across the world, and our trade deal with Japan provides huge opportunities for UK businesses.

The Indo-Pacific region is powering global growth, and Japan is a vital partner for us in the region. I look forward to seeing TE Greg Clark’s excellent work there.

Greg Clark MP said:

I am delighted to have been appointed the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Japan. As Business Secretary from 2016 to 2019, I enjoyed strong relationships with Japan as a hugely significant trading partner with the UK. I look forward to building on this in the role, championing UK businesses and creating more opportunities for our two countries to deepen our already strong ties.