# Minister of International Trade Diversification

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.
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.

## Ministers

Key:
| No. | Name | Term of office | 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 | Liberal | 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 | Progressive Conservative | 24 (Mulroney) |
| 5 | John Crosbie | March 31, 1988 | April 20, 1991 | Progressive Conservative | 24 (Mulroney) |
| 6 | Michael Wilson | April 21, 1991 | June 24, 1993 | Progressive Conservative | 24 (Mulroney) |
| 7 | Tom Hockin | June 25, 1993 | November 3, 1993 | Progressive Conservative | 25 (Campbell) |
| 8 | Roy MacLaren | November 4, 1993 | January 24, 1996 | Liberal | 26 (Chrétien) |
| 9 | Art Eggleton | January 25, 1996 | June 10, 1997 | Liberal | 26 (Chrétien) |
| 10 | Sergio Marchi | June 11, 1997 | August 2, 1999 | Liberal | 26 (Chrétien) |
| 11 | Pierre Pettigrew | August 3, 1999 | December 11, 2003 | Liberal | 26 (Chrétien) |
| 12 | Jim Peterson | December 12, 2003 | February 5, 2006 | Liberal | 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 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| 15 | Stockwell Day | October 30, 2008 | January 19, 2010 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| 16 | Peter Van Loan | January 19, 2010 | May 18, 2011 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| 17 | Ed Fast | May 18, 2011 | November 4, 2015 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| 18 | Chrystia Freeland | November 4, 2015 | January 10, 2017 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| 19 | François-Philippe Champagne | January 10, 2017 | July 18, 2018 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| 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) |