General Authority of Foreign Trade

Trade Policy & Regulationgaft.gov.sa

The General Authority of Foreign Trade (GAFT) is the sole Saudi government authority managing foreign trade policy, trade agreements, and trade remedies (anti-dumping, countervailing, safeguards), serving domestic industries, Saudi exporters, and the private sector under Saudi Vision 2030.

Company typePrivate
Founded2019
HeadquartersRiyadh, Saudi Arabia
Headcount251–500
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

What General Authority of Foreign Trade does

The General Authority of Foreign Trade (GAFT) is a Saudi Arabian government authority established in January 2019 by Council of Ministers Resolution No. 211, operating under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce with financial and administrative independence. As the sole national authority responsible for foreign trade policy, GAFT administers trade agreements (including 5 active FTAs under the GCC framework), manages trade remedies — anti-dumping, countervailing, and safeguard measures — and represents Saudi Arabia in international trade negotiations, currently holding the WTO General Council chairmanship for 2025-2026. It serves three primary stakeholder groups: domestic industries requiring protection from unfair trade practices, Saudi exporters seeking international market access, and the broader private sector engaged in import-export activity.

GAFT's core digital product is the Trade Remedies Electronic System (TRES), a self-service portal that enables domestic industries to register, file anti-dumping/countervailing/safeguard complaints, and participate in investigations as interested parties. The service portfolio is complemented by a private-sector inquiry e-service channel, a public-facing investigation tracking portal, downloadable institutional publications (annual reports 2019-2025, trade remedy guides), and recurring workshops and conferences on trade policy. The authority's engagement is global, supported by 22 commercial attachés, 104-106 Saudi-foreign joint business councils, and direct coordination with 12+ Saudi ministries and regulatory bodies (MISA, PIF, ZATCA, SASO, SAMA, CST, Local Content Authority, Saudi Export Development Authority, GCC Secretariat, and the WTO).

As a government authority, GAFT does not generate commercial revenue. It is funded through annual budget allocations from the Saudi Ministry of Finance and operates purely as a regulatory and public-service body. Performance is measured not in revenue terms but in policy outcomes and trade-volume proxies: Saudi total trade volume reached SAR 1.383 trillion in 2024, non-oil exports totaled SAR 308 billion (13% growth), services exports reached SAR 235 billion (15% growth), and commercial attachés generated 2,221 export opportunities (17.5% growth) alongside 393 investment opportunities (19% growth) in 2024. GAFT does not apply commercial pricing, and there are no private-equity, venture, or public-market shareholders.

General Authority of Foreign Trade firmographics

Firmographics

Name: General Authority of Foreign Trade
Legal name: General Authority for Foreign Trade
Website: https://gaft.gov.sa
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2019
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 251–500 employees
Short description: The General Authority of Foreign Trade (GAFT) is the sole Saudi government authority managing foreign trade policy, trade agreements, and trade remedies (anti-dumping, countervailing, safeguards), serving domestic industries, Saudi exporters, and the private sector under Saudi Vision 2030.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

General Authority of Foreign Trade industry classification

Industry

Product category: Trade Policy & Regulation
NAICS: Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615)
akta.pro primary industry: Trade, Import/Export Controls & Sanctions Regulators (BPAIAOAO)
akta.pro secondary industries: Trade, Export Controls & Customs Compliance (BPAHAFAN), Global Trade & Customs / Trade Compliance (BPAHAHAG)

Keywords

Foreign trade policy
Trade remedies administration
Trade agreement negotiations
Anti-dumping investigations
Export market access

Where General Authority of Foreign Trade is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Riyadh
HQ country: Saudi Arabia
HQ region: Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

General Authority of Foreign Trade business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

Government Services: As a Saudi government authority, GAFT does not generate commercial revenue. It operates as a regulatory body providing public services related to foreign trade policy, trade remedies administration, and international trade negotiations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

General Authority of Foreign Trade product offering

Product offering

Core offering

GAFT is the Saudi government authority responsible for regulating and facilitating the Kingdom's foreign trade. It administers trade remedies (anti-dumping, countervailing, and safeguard measures), negotiates and manages international trade agreements, protects domestic industries from unfair trade practices, and enables Saudi exporters to access global markets through a network of commercial attachés, business councils, and digital services.

Product overview

The General Authority of Foreign Trade (GAFT) operates a suite of digital services centered on its core Trade Remedies Electronic System (TRES) — a self-service portal for filing and tracking trade remedy complaints. This platform is complemented by a private sector support service, a public-facing investigation tracking portal, downloadable institutional publications (annual reports, regulatory guides), and organized workshops. GAFT's offerings are primarily government-to-business (G2B) digital services aimed at regulating and facilitating Saudi Arabia's foreign trade, with no consumer-facing or AI-powered product lines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Trade Remedies Electronic System (TRES) Electronic self-service platform enabling Saudi domestic industries to register, file trade remedy complaints, participate as interested or public interest parties in anti-dumping, countervailing, and safeguard investigations, and track case progress.
Private Sector Inquiries and Support Service E-service channel through which the Saudi private sector can submit inquiries, proposals, and feedback, with GAFT providing solutions and removing obstacles and challenges faced by importers and exporters.
Trade Remedies Investigation Details Service Public-facing service that provides details of ongoing and concluded trade remedy investigations, imposed measures, investigation notices, and updates for stakeholders including exporters, importers, and domestic producers.

Quantifiable outcome

4 anti-dumping investigations initiated in 2025 with final duties imposed on imports from 4 countries.
+1 more outcomes

Companies that use General Authority of Foreign Trade

Customer profile

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

General Authority of Foreign Trade technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

General Authority of Foreign Trade partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

Ministry of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGAFT works with the Ministry of Commerce on trade policy and commercial affairs coordination.
Ministry of Investment (MISA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on investment aspects of free trade agreements and attracting foreign investment.
Ministry of Industry and Mineral ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on industrial development, local content, and protecting domestic industries.
Public Investment Fund (PIF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on investment chapters in free trade agreements and attracting foreign direct investment.
Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO)coreTechnology or IntegrationTechnical collaboration on harmonized system classification and standards alignment.
Zakat, Tax and Customs AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on customs procedures, trade remedies implementation, and tariff matters.
Saudi Export Development AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint efforts to enable Saudi exports to access international markets.
Local Content and Government Procurement AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on local content requirements and government procurement policies.
Saudi Central Bank (SAMA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on investment chapters in trade agreements affecting financial services.
GCC Secretariat GeneralcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordination on GCC-level trade agreements, trade remedies, and commercial cooperation.
World Trade Organization (WTO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSaudi Arabia chairs the WTO General Council for 2025-2026; GAFT manages WTO commitments and negotiations.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

General Authority of Foreign Trade competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Broad incumbents

Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of South Korea (MOTIE): South Korean ministry responsible for trade policy, FTA negotiations, and trade remedy administration. Operates a similar model of trade policy, export promotion, and trade defense, and is a subject of GAFT's anti-dumping actions (PVC Coated Textiles).
Department for Business and Trade (UK): UK government department responsible for trade policy, trade agreement negotiations, and supporting UK exporters. Comparable mandate and G2B service orientation to GAFT.
Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR): U.S. government agency responsible for developing and coordinating U.S. international trade policy, negotiating trade agreements, and administering trade remedy investigations. Direct counterpart to GAFT in mandate and functions, though operating in a much larger economy context.
Department of Commerce (India): Indian government department responsible for foreign trade policy, FTA negotiations, and trade remedy matters. Direct counterpart to GAFT on bilateral trade issues and a subject of GAFT's recent anti-dumping investigations.
European Commission - DG Trade: European Commission directorate responsible for EU trade policy, negotiating bilateral/multilateral trade agreements, and managing anti-dumping/countervailing/safeguard investigations. Most institutionally comparable foreign trade authority at supranational level.
Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China (MOFCOM): Chinese government ministry responsible for foreign trade policy, trade agreement negotiations, and trade remedy investigations. Most frequent subject of GAFT's anti-dumping actions and a key bilateral counterpart.
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan (METI): Japanese ministry handling trade policy, FTA negotiations, and trade remedy investigations. Comparable as a national government trade authority with established trade remedy infrastructure.

Others

International Trade Centre (ITC): Joint UN/WTO agency supporting export development in developing countries. Comparable in mission of supporting SME exporter access to global markets, and operates similar trade-supporting tools and trade information services relevant to GAFT's exporter enablement mandate.
World Trade Organization (WTO): Multilateral organization whose General Council Saudi Arabia chairs for 2025-2026. GAFT manages Saudi Arabia's WTO commitments and negotiations, making it a core institutional counterpart rather than a competitor.

Regional players

UAE Ministry of Economy: GCC counterpart responsible for UAE's trade policy, economic diversification, and commercial regulation. Operates in the same regional trade ecosystem under the GCC Economic Agreement that GAFT administers for Saudi Arabia.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

General Authority of Foreign Trade financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

General Authority of Foreign Trade leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

General Authority of Foreign Trade funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

General Authority of Foreign Trade M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about General Authority of Foreign Trade

What does General Authority of Foreign Trade do?

Is General Authority of Foreign Trade a public or private company?

General Authority of Foreign Trade is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.

When was General Authority of Foreign Trade founded?

General Authority of Foreign Trade was founded in 2019. It employs 251 to 500 people.

Where is General Authority of Foreign Trade based?

General Authority of Foreign Trade is headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the Middle East region.

How does General Authority of Foreign Trade make money?

One revenue line is on record: government Services.

Who are General Authority of Foreign Trade's main competitors?

Broad incumbents on record are Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of South Korea (MOTIE), Department for Business and Trade (UK), Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), Department of Commerce (India), European Commission - DG Trade, Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China (MOFCOM) and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan (METI). Others are International Trade Centre (ITC) and World Trade Organization (WTO). UAE Ministry of Economy is listed as a regional player.

Does General Authority of Foreign Trade have an API?

No public API is recorded for General Authority of Foreign Trade.

What industry is General Authority of Foreign Trade in?

General Authority of Foreign Trade's product category is Trade Policy & Regulation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAOAO, Trade, Import/Export Controls & Sanctions Regulators, with a secondary code of BPAHAFAN, Trade, Export Controls & Customs Compliance. Its NAICS code is 92615.