Chris Barton CMG
Biography
Chris Barton is His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Europe. He started the role in August 2021.
Prior to his appointment Chris spent 8 years leading on trade issues in the UK government, as Director for:
- Trade Policy and Export Control (2013 to 2016, BIS)
- Multilateral and EU Trade Negotiations (2016 to 2019, DIT)
- Bilateral Trade Relations (2019 to 2020, DIT)
- UK-EU Goods Negotiations (2020 to 2021, Number 10)
He was also acting Director General for Trade Negotiations in DIT from February to June 2021. He was awarded a CMG by Her Majesty the Queen in 2019 for his services to trade, diversity and inclusion.
Before moving into the world of trade and investment, Chris spent 5 years (1993 to 1998) as a secondary school teacher. This was followed by 15 years (1998 to 2013) in a range of Civil Service roles in Departments for Business, Energy and Foreign Office. His roles covered a variety of domestic, European and wider international issues including telecoms, competition policy, company law, employment law, renewable energy and energy security.
Chris is married with 3 children.
HM Trade Commissioner for Europe
The HM Trade Commissioner (HMTC) for Europe leads a team of over 300 staff in 34 countries across the continent, working to encourage a thriving trade and investment relationship between the UK and other European countries.
The Trade Commissioner has responsibility for all Department for Business and Trade (DBT) work in Europe including:
- improving market access for UK companies in Europe
- attracting inward investment from European companies into UK
- encouraging UK exports to Europe
- influencing multilateral trade policy with Europe
The HMTC works closely with UK based government colleagues, UK ambassadors and the wider diplomatic network in Europe in delivering these goals. Together they engage extensively with UK and European businesses, European governments and wider stakeholders.