Firms in the West Midlands are making a strong contribution to increasing export orders in the UK, new figures have revealed.
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has issued its Quarterly International Trade Outlook ahead of UK Trade & Investment’s (UKTI) Export Week between May 18 and May 22.
The survey, which has been running since 2006, speaks to more than 2,000 businesses and the latest figures reveal that 46 per cent of manufacturers have reported increased overseas orders in the first three months of this year. In the service sector, that figure remained steady at 33 per cent.
Companies in the West Midlands are among those to see the highest increase in exporting activity. It’s up by 16 per cent over the past quarter, according to the survey.
Louise Bennett, the chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said firms across the city and the county had access to world class support.
She said: “One of the challenges set out to the new Government is to help grow our exports and while these figures are very positive, that challenge remains.
“I am delighted to see that the West Midlands is making a significant contribution to increased activity and that companies on are patch are, more and more, seeing the business benefits of overseas trade.
“On the back of these figures and as Export Week begins, it’s important to remind companies of the world class support they have available here at our International Trade Hub at the Chamber.
“We have a team of UKTI advisers who are able to provide a whole range of support to existing and new exporters. They can assist with research and market information in the first instance and then also offer very detailed advice through the exporting process.
“The Chamber also has an export documentation service which is growing in popularity and helps everything from small firms up to some of our region’s largest manufacturers to ensure they have completed the necessary paperwork when exporting.
“The thing to stress during Export Week and, indeed, throughout the whole year is that doing business abroad is not a mystery.
“Like anything in growing a company, it takes hard work but with the right support and advice it provides a route to a range of new markets and opens up a world of opportunity for your business.
“If we are to continue to grow our economy locally, regionally and nationally, we need to build on these positive figures and in no way, shape or form can we believe the job is done.”