Coventry and Warwickshire’s International Trade Hub was officially launched as experts in export met companies in the region wanting to take their business overseas.
The new hub was unveiled at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s headquarters in Coventry where it will be a first port of call for firms looking to export their goods and services.
Louise Wall, the group commercial director at the Chamber, made a short speech before companies from across the region held one-to-one sessions with 11 experts in a range of fields – including trading with China, routes to market, digital trade, language and culture, EU Enterprise support and export documentation.
Louise said: “Exporting is absolutely crucial for individual businesses and for the economy as a whole.
“It helps to insulate firms from any fluctuations in the domestic market by spreading their customer base into new markets. It is, therefore, vital that we do everything we can to encourage and support more companies to trade overseas and to help those that already export to do more.
“There is a wide range of support on offer from both the public and private sector – including the government’s UKTI service which we deliver here at the Chamber.
“We also offer export documentation, training and consultancy and also partner with other organisations who can support with finance or logistics.
“The idea behind the International Trade Hub is to offer businesses a first port of call when they need any guidance or support when they come to export.
“The help is out there and by knowing that they only have to make one initial call, it should see an increase in exports from this area.”
It was revealed in May that exports from the West Midlands were up by 16 per cent for the first quarter of 2015 – one of the highest increases in the country.
Ajay Desai, the Chamber’s international trade team lead, said: “The growth in exporting is very positive for the region but we have to strive for more.
“The International Trade Hub is a great way of promoting exporting and offering very real and practical advice.
“The one-to-one sessions were very popular – we had more than 50 companies in attendance, all with pre-booked slots. In fact, it was so popular we will look to stage this kind of event once every quarter in order to meet demand.”