Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development

The Minister of International Trade (French: Ministre du Commerce international) 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.

Minister of International Trade
Ministre du commerce international
Incumbent Dominic LeBlanc since March 14, 2025
Global Affairs Canada
Style	The Honourable
Member of	House of Commons Privy Council Cabinet
Reports to	Parliament Prime Minister
Appointer	Monarch (represented by the governor general); on the advice of the prime minister
Term length	At His Majesty's pleasure
Inaugural holder	Gerald Regan
Formation	8 December 1983
Salary	CA$299,900 (2024)
Website	www.international.gc.ca

The position is currently held by Dominic LeBlanc, who is also responsible for intergovernmental affairs; consequently, the position's official title is currently Minister of International Trade and Intergovernmental Affairs (French: Ministre du Commerce international et des Affaires intergouvernementales).

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.^{[citation needed]}

Ministers

Key:

  Liberal Party of Canada

  Progressive Conservative

  Conservative Party of Canada

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
Minister of International Trade Diversification
20		Jim Carr	July 18, 2018	November 20, 2019	Liberal	29 (J. Trudeau)
Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade
21		Mary Ng	November 20, 2019	October 26, 2021	Liberal	29 (J. Trudeau)
Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development
(21)		Mary Ng	October 26, 2021	July 26, 2023	Liberal	29 (J. Trudeau)
Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development
(21)		Mary Ng	July 26, 2023	March 14, 2025	Liberal	29 (J. Trudeau)
Minister of International Trade and Intergovernmental Affairs
22		Dominic LeBlanc	March 14, 2025	Incumbent	Liberal	30 (Carney)

References

1. "The Canadian Parliamentary system - Our Procedure - House of Commons". www.ourcommons.ca. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
2. "Review of the Responsibilities and Accountabilities of Ministers and Senior Officials" (PDF).
3. "Constitutional Duties". The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
4. "House of Commons Procedure and Practice - 1. Parliamentary Institutions - Canadian Parliamentary Institutions". www.ourcommons.ca. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
5. "Indemnities, Salaries and Allowances". April 1, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
6. Curry, Bill; Kirkup, Kristy; Raman-Wilms, Menaka; Dickson, Janice (2021-10-26). "Trudeau cabinet shuffle: Anita Anand moves to Defence, Steven Guilbeault to Environment, Mélanie Joly to Foreign Affairs". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2021-10-26.