Small business exporters will be front and centre of a new roadshow in Birmingham today offering tailored government support to get more SMEs exporting across the advanced manufacturing sector. This will include how these firms can take advantage of the recent trade announcements with India and US amongst other opportunities.
The Made in the UK, Sold to the World roadshow events offer SMEs the opportunity to directly connect with Commercial Officers, international buyers, Export Champions and International Trade Advisers (ITAs) to get advice, support, and discuss real export opportunities, through one-to-one meetings to help them start up, scale up and succeed.
The Commercial Officers and international buyers present at the event span 10 markets across the world, from the USA to China and Spain.
Each roadshow taking place in the coming months will be focused on one of the eight key growth driving sectors identified in the UK’s modern Industrial Strategy.
The ambition is to channel government support to sectors with the highest potential to create jobs, boost productivity and grow the economy. All of which will help deliver the Plan for Change to put more money in more working people’s pockets.
Both the Exports Minister Gareth Thomas and the Mayor of the West Midlands, Richard Parker will be speaking at the event.
Gareth Thomas, Minister for Small Businesses and Exports, said:“From production machinery to compound semiconductors and construction equipment, advanced manufacturing is key to this Government’s export ambitions.
“Our modern Industrial Strategy will maximise opportunities in this key growth sector and create good jobs with high wages, raise productivity and boost the economy in the West Midlands and beyond.”
The West Midlands is a leader in the Advanced Manufacturing sector, home to major players across the aerospace, automotive, agri-tech, and batteries sectors, and hosting multiple prominent manufacturing companies like JLR and Aston Martin.
But Advanced Manufacturing is also a national strength with the UK exporting a whopping £33bn of automotive products, £33bn of mechanical power generators and £13bn of Aerospace products last year alone.
In March, the Department of Business and Trade relaunched the Board of Trade, to help businesses, and in particular the UK’s 5.5 million SMEs, boost their exports.
And later this year, we will be launching the Trade Strategy, which will set out the Government’s approach to maximising trade opportunities, which will include improving how SMEs use trade agreements, like the recently announced UK-India FTA and UK-US tariff deal, to build new strategic alliances, and strengthen our position to trade in the innovative sectors of the future.
UK businesses can access DBT’s wealth of export support via Great.gov.uk. This comprises an online support offer and a wider network of support including the Export Academy, UK Export Finance, the International Markets network, and one-to-one support from International Trade Advisers.
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