Be inspired by success of firms exporting overseas

Jan 28 2010 By The Journal

THERE is no doubt the economic downturn has had a significant impact on the North East economy and exports have fallen in recent months, but the total annual value of goods exported from the North East still stands at more than £10bn and there has been impressive growth in several key sectors and markets.

Here we highlight some of the many companies and individuals that have contributed to the region’s international success and focus on some of the markets offering the most potential and the support available to help you succeed.

We hope that reading these articles will both inspire and encourage you to take the all-important step into international trade and reassure you that we’re here to help every step of the way.

For although the North East continues to perform well in international markets, the actual number of companies that export is small and most of our overseas earnings come from relatively few industries such as the automotive, chemical, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.

We want to encourage more companies to take up the export challenge, widen the range of goods and services that are exported and broaden the number of markets in which they are involved.

Research has shown that companies which export are more resilient. Our challenge is to ensure that businesses know that help is at hand for North East firms wanting to navigate out of the downturn by seeking out new business opportunities overseas.

UK Trade & Investment can help companies find the markets that can make the difference.

Nationally, a recent survey confirmed UKTI had helped 20,700 companies, 90% of them small and medium-sized businesses. It’s estimated our support helped them generate an additional £3.6bn of profit. You too could join them.

David Coppock is UK Trade & Investment’s International Trade Director