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Press Release

16 April 2009

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World Trade Week, the first event of its kind in the UK, will take place this year from 8 to 12 June and will highlight the importance of global trade in creating jobs and growth in the current economic climate.

World Trade Week UK is part of a Government drive to maintain open and fair markets and resist protectionism in the face of a global downturn and falling international trade flows.

Through events in the UK and worldwide, starting with an international trade conference in London, which will be attended by business leaders and leaders in trade policy from across the world, the week will help showcase the success of the UK as a trading nation and the importance of global trade to international development.

Major supporters such as UK Trade and Investment, the British Chambers of Commerce and Visit Britain are already signed up to World Trade Week UK and organisations of all sizes are being encouraged to get involved.

Minister for Trade and Development Gareth Thomas called on business organisations and NGOs to show their support:

“A core part of the Government’s response to the current global economic crisis has been to strive to keep global markets open and ensure that trade – the lifeblood of the global economy – continues to flow.

“World Trade Week UK 2009 will be a vital opportunity to champion global trade, as well as highlight the ways that trade creates growth and helps lift millions out of poverty. There are many ways in which you can be part of the Week and I’d encourage everyone out there to get involved.”

David Frost, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said:

“Standing firmly behind open trade is of vital importance to recovery. Governments around the world need to resist domestic political pressures for protective measures and defend the recent progress made in freeing up global trade.

“The BCC will be working with the International Chamber Network to mobilise business to support free trade.”

Organisations can be part of World Trade Week UK by running an event or by promoting the week and its events to their members.

For more information about the week or to find out how to get involved visit www.dfid.gov.uk/worldtradeweekuk

Notes to editors

  1. World Trade Week UK is being run by the UK’s Trade Policy Unit (TPU). TPU is a joint department that has brought together some 70 trade and development experts from the Department for International Development (DFID) and Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR).
  2. Gareth Thomas is the first ever joint DFID-BERR Minister for Trade Policy, in charge of trade policy and operational issues, trade negotiations and trade capacity-building.

For further information please contact: Stacey Vickers at DFID Press office s-vickers@dfid.gov.uk 020 7023 0513 or Ben Lloyd at BERR Press Office ben.lloyd@berr.gsi.gov.uk 020 7215 5974.