| Post: | Minister for International Trade |
| Incumbent: | Mary Ng |
| Incumbentsince: | November 20, 2019 |
| Department: | Global Affairs Canada |
| Style: | The Honourable |
| Appointer: | Monarch (represented by the governor general);[1] |
| Appointer Qualified: | on the advice of the prime minister[2] |
| Termlength: | genderp=~}}}} Majesty's pleasure |
| Formation: | 8 December 1983 |
| Inaugural: | Gerald Regan |
| Salary: | $255,300 (2017)[3] |
The Minister for International Trade is the formal title provided by legislation for the minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet responsible for the federal government's international trade portfolio. From February 2006 to July 2017, the minister was styled as "Minister of International Trade", and from July 2017, the title for business use change numerous time. The minister, Mary Ng, has been styled Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development since July 26, 2023
Along with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister for International Development, the office is one of the three ministers who led Global Affairs Canada, the Canadian foreign affairs department.
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.
On 18 July 2018, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau changed the business title to Minister of International Trade Diversification, appointing Jim Carr as the new minister.[4] Following the 2019 federal election, Mary Ng was appointed the office, but have been styled with three different titles. She is currently styled as the Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development.
Key:
| No. | Portrait | Name | Term of office | Political party | Ministry | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minister 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 Conservative | 24 (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 | Liberal | 26 (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 | Conservative | 28 (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 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) | |
| 19 | François-Philippe Champagne | January 10, 2017 | July 18, 2018 | |||
| 20 | Jim Carr | Minister of International Trade Diversification | ||||
| July 18, 2018 | November 20, 2019 | |||||
| 21 | Mary Ng | Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade | ||||
| November 20, 2019 | October 26, 2021 | |||||
| Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development | ||||||
| October 26, 2021 | July 26, 2023 | |||||
| Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development | ||||||
| July 26, 2023 | Incumbent | |||||