Businesses in the South West should take advantage of the huge new trade opportunities opening up across the world after Brexit, International Trade Minister Conor Burns will tell businesses across the South West today.
Minister Burns will join local exporters across Dorset and Somerset at a roundtable at Poole Harbour, hosted by the port of Poole and the Dorset Chamber to discuss how the Department for International Trade can create the right framework for businesses to export as it begins negotiations with some of our biggest trading partners in February.
Currently, businesses in the South West export nearly £4 billion worth of goods each year to the US alone. UK small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are disproportionately impacted by regulatory barriers, because they are less able to employ economies of scale to overcome fixed costs. But by removing, lowering and simplifying trade barriers, a free trade agreement with the US will benefit the 30,000 SMEs that already export to the US and create opportunities for new SME exporters.
One of the businesses ready to take advantage of this market is Beaminster-based Black Cow Vodka, which exports its vodka, made purely from the whole milk of grass-grazed cows, to 13 countries around the world, including the USA.
And in 2019, Black Cow’s market access in Canada was significantly improved when the country modernised its regulations to allow vodka to be derived from agricultural matter other than potatoes and grains. This followed years of DIT Canada championing this change with Canadian government on behalf of Black Cow and other innovative UK spirit producers. The breakthrough forms part of DIT’s wider efforts to break down market access barriers which hinder UK exports, and which don’t require a free trade agreement to address.
Also expanding their reach overseas are Yeovil-based Leonardo Helicopters, which supports the development of more than 500 helicopters which have been delivered to 26 countries globally, from the AW101 Norwegian All-Weather Search and Rescue (NAWSAR) helicopter to the UK Royal Navy’s AW159 Wildcat which recently supported an operation to uncover a £3.3m drugs set-up in Middle Eastern waters. Leonardo met with Minister Burns to discuss their successful export programme and future opportunities to build on this.
International Trade Minister, Conor Burns MP said:
“In just a week’s time, the UK will be free to sign new, mutually beneficial free trade deals around the world. That means opening up opportunities for great UK businesses to export, creating jobs and prosperity across the South West and the whole UK.
“It’s been a pleasure to see first-hand the great work that businesses in the South West are doing to export and to take advantage of the opportunities to come. At every level in DIT we stand shoulder to shoulder with UK businesses to support them in delivering a truly Global Britain.”
Geoff Munday, Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters UK said:
“It is great to host Conor Burns MP, the Minister of International Trade, at our helicopter manufacturing facility in Yeovil and demonstrate to him the way we build and design helicopters here in the South West for the international market.
“The demonstration for the Minister of our AW101 Norwegian All-Weather Search and Rescue helicopter shows how it is at the cutting-edge of aeronautics and of system technology with its Osprey 30 active electronically-scanned array radar.
“Helicopters built in Yeovil are today performing demanding missions in-service with the UK armed forces and overseas allies. This achievement reflects the close collaboration we have with the Department of International Trade. Together the UK Government and Leonardo in the UK are exporting solutions today with tomorrow’s technology.”
Ian Girling, CEO of Dorset Chamber of said:
“Today was a great opportunity to accompany the Minister and listen to businesses with regard to both the challenges and opportunities they face as we look to the future. In the last 12 months alone Dorset Chamber of Commerce has helped businesses export goods worth over £270 million. As a Chamber we will continue to work closely with our partners in helping businesses successfully develop international markets.”
The Port of Poole is one of the one of the largest trust ports in the UK is a thriving freight port for commercial shipping, handling large volumes of commodities such as clay, steel, timber, grain, road stone, brick and fertiliser.
In August, the Government announced it would establish new Freeports when we leave the EU, creating innovative hubs of global trade, which will help to level up the UK by benefiting communities around the UK. The Government is engaging with industry experts and economists to ensure we make Freeports a success, by developing an extremely ambitious and attractive offer to businesses interested in investing in our Freeports
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