With the defeat of the Tories in the 1896 election, Foster retained his seat and joined the Opposition.
During his final years in cabinet, Foster served as Minister of Trade and Commerce, and received a knighthood (KCMG) in 1914 for his work in the Royal Commission on Imperial Trade; he was named to the Imperial Privy Council in 1916 and elevated to GCMG in 1918 [REF].