The minister of international trade () is the minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet responsible for the federal government's international trade portfolio. Along with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, it is one of two ministers associated with Global Affairs Canada.
Maninder Sidhu has served as the minister of international trade since 2025.
History The post was first established in 1983 as the Minister for International Trade by the Government Organization Act, 1983, which re-organized various governmental functions and updated the Department of External Affairs Act. The lead responsibility for international trade was reassigned from the Department of Industry to the Department of External Affairs, and the position was created to assist the senior departmental minister, the Secretary of State for External Affairs at the time, in carrying out their responsibilities relating to international trade. Gerald Regan, then the Minister of State (International Trade), was appointed to be the first office holder.
While the name of the department and the title of the senior departmental minister changed numerous times, this formal title remains unchanged. However the minister has been styled differently since 2006.
Starting in 2006, the minister has been styled with a variety of titles. When Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper formed his first government on February 6, 2006, he appointed David Emerson, who was re-elected days earlier as a Liberal candidate, to the office styled Minister of International Trade (along with Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics). Subsequent ministers were styled as Minister of International Trade until 2018, when the position was renamed Minister of International Trade Diversification.
In 2019, the portfolio was merged with Small Business and Export Promotion and renamed Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade. In 2021, the role gained additional responsibility for economic development, being renamed Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development. In 2023, the role lost responsibility for small business to the Minister of Small Business, at which point it was renamed Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, a title it had until 2025, when it lost responsibility for economic development.
Ministers Key:
No.PortraitNameTerm of officePolitical partyMinistryMinister for International Trade 1 Gerald Regan December 8, 1983 June 29, 1984 Liberal 22 (P. E. Trudeau) 2 Francis Fox June 30, 1984 September 16, 1984 23 (Turner) 3 James F. Kelleher September 17, 1984 June 29, 1986 Progressive Conservative24 (Mulroney) 4 Pat Carney June 30, 1986 March 30, 1988 5 John Crosbie March 31, 1988 April 20, 1991 6 Michael Wilson April 21, 1991 June 24, 1993 7 Tom Hockin June 25, 1993 November 3, 1993 25 (Campbell) 8 Roy MacLaren November 4, 1993 January 24, 1996 Liberal26 (Chrétien) 9 Art Eggleton January 25, 1996 June 10, 1997 10 Sergio Marchi June 11, 1997 August 2, 1999 11 Pierre Pettigrew August 3, 1999 December 11, 2003 12 Jim Peterson December 12, 2003 February 5, 2006 27 (Martin)Minister of International Trade 13 David Emerson February 6, 2006 June 24, 2008 Conservative28 (Harper) 14 Michael Fortier June 25, 2008 October 29, 2008 15 Stockwell Day October 30, 2008 January 19, 2010 16 Peter Van Loan January 19, 2010 May 18, 2011 17 Ed Fast May 18, 2011 November 4, 2015 18 Chrystia Freeland November 4, 2015 January 10, 2017 Liberal29 (J. Trudeau) 19 François-Philippe Champagne January 10, 2017 July 18, 2018Minister of International Trade Diversification 20 Jim Carr July 18, 2018 November 20, 2019 Liberal29 (J. Trudeau)Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade 21Mary NgNovember 20, 2019 October 26, 2021 Liberal29 (J. Trudeau)Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development (21)Mary NgOctober 26, 2021 July 26, 2023 Liberal29 (J. Trudeau)Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development (21)Mary NgJuly 26, 2023 March 14, 2025 Liberal29 (J. Trudeau)Minister of International Trade and Intergovernmental Affairs 22Dominic LeBlancMarch 14, 2025 May 13, 2025 Liberal30 (Carney)Minister of International Trade 23Maninder SidhuMay 13, 2025 Incumbent Liberal30 (Carney)
References