Armorial bearings of the World Traders' Company
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Date of formation | 1985 (Charter 2013) |
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Company association | International Trade |
Order of precedence | 101st |
Master of company | Miss Wendy Marilyn Hyde CC (2015-2016) |
Motto | "Commerce and honest friendship with all" |
Website | www.world-traders.org/ |
The Worshipful Company of World Traders is one of the 110 Livery Companies of the City of London.
Following in the tradition of the HEIC, the Guild of World Traders was formed in 1985 and it became a Company in 1993. Its petition for livery status was granted by the Court of Aldermen with effect from 2000. The Worshipful Company draws its membership from the international trade fraternity, with the aim of raising awareness and understanding of, and standards of practice in, world trade. The Company ranks 101st in the order of precedence of the City Livery Companies. Its motto is Commerce and Honest Friendship with All, taken from Thomas Jefferson's inaugural Presidential speech.
The founding of the World Traders Association movement gave rise to the creation of trading complexes in over 160 cities throughout the world. London was the first in Europe, built in St Katharine's Dock beside the Tower of London (though this World Trade Centre closed in 1994). Over 1,000 years earlier the same land was used by the Knighten Guild to trade in foreign goods, and in 1979 the then Lord Mayor, Sir Peter Gadsden, suggested that this tradition be revived by the creation of the Guild of World Traders to represent members of the international trading community in the City of London.
The Company's founding Master was Mr Peter Drew OBE. From the outset the World Traders were determined to be a working Guild, only accepting members from the international trade fraternity, with the aim of raising awareness and understanding of, and standards of practice in, world trade.
The UK, principally through London, has a £40bn trade surplus in financial and professional services representing 3% of UK GDP. World Traders represent virtually every form of financial service and are committed to retaining and growing London’s services. World traders consist largely of three groups.
World Traders are at the forefront of debates shaping the future, for example the structure of the Eurozone, banking & insurance regulation, reducing trade barriers, growing the fledgling carbon markets, and long-term sustainability of the environment and finance.
The 250 World Traders are international. As well as UK-based British nationals, a significant number of the Livery are overseas nationals based in the UK, dual nationals, British nationals who live overseas and overseas nationals who live in their home country. World Traders host a large number of foreign visitors looking to relocate or establish trading connections with the UK not just from primary trading partners in the EU, China, Brazil, Russia, India or the Gulf states, but also from smaller countries which may benefit from personal support and contacts.