LONDON — Britain’s business and trade ministry is preparing to cut 600 roles from its overseas network, raising concerns about the government’s ability to support British exporters abroad.

The ministry is also reeling from a sweeping Cabinet reshuffle, with all of its previous ministers moving into other departments or leaving government over the weekend.

It comes as the U.K. navigates a rapidly shifting global trade order and battles to attract investment to drive the government’s growth agenda.

The overseas cuts are part of a broader plan to reduce the Department for Business and Trade’s headcount by 20 percent — with most redundancies expected before April 2027. A figure familiar with the developments said staff are concerned about the pace and scale of the cuts. 

While a Voluntary Exit Scheme ran in June, uptake fell short of the department’s target, according to the person. Permanent Secretary Gareth Davies is now refusing to rule out compulsory redundancies.

James Manning, a former U.K. trade negotiator, said: “While efficiencies are clearly needed given the fiscal challenges facing the government, reducing the U.K.’s overseas trade policy and promotion staffing at a time when the global trade system is under extreme strain is a clear risk.”

He added that “it will likely make it harder for ministers’ to deliver on their pledge to boost support to U.K. exporters, as set out in the Trade Strategy published earlier this year.”

Some export promotion work is expected to shift to foreign office staff, with diplomats asked by former Foreign Secretary David Lammy to promote the U.K. overseas. 

But Manning, now a director at FTI Consulting, warned: “Given the UK’s trade expertise has been highly concentrated in the Department for Business and Trade and its predecessor departments, it is also unlikely that the FCDO will be able to immediately plug the capability gaps this will inevitably create.”

Threat of office closures 

DBT is also threatening the closure of nine regional offices outside London — with planned consultations due to begin. These include Bristol, Cambridge, Glasgow, Guildford, Ipswich, Leeds, Newcastle, Nottingham, and Titchfield. 

The Guildford office has already closed, while the Bristol and Titchfield offices are set to shut in early 2026, according to the person cited above.

These regional offices help local businesses access government support and promote trade and investment in the region. 

PCS General Secretary Fran Heathcote said the government has done this “without even a nod to union consultation and without offering any kind of rationale.” She called the 20 percent reduction of staff “a personal disaster for many of our dedicated members as well as for the effectiveness of the department.” 

“Any agreed future changes must be transparent and implemented carefully to help allay the serious anxiety that DBT staff are feeling,” she urged. 

The Department for Business and Trade said no final decision had been taken on where cuts would fall, adding it is standard practice to review agreements when office leases come up for renewal. 

“As part of Government plans to reshape the state and deliver our Plan for Change, DBT will support a leaner and more efficient Civil Service, helping to reduce administration costs by 15% by the end of the decade and to avoid duplication across departments,” said a DBT spokesperson. “In line with these plans, we propose to reduce the Department in size, but we will look to avoid redundancies wherever possible.”