10 UK Export News You Might’ve Missed – Week 11
(Also published on LinkedIn)
In this edition of Export News from Expordite, we’ll cover top 10 UK export news and headlines from week 11 of 2023 – March 13-19, 2023.
But first, make sure to check out our summary of the key takeaways of the Spring Budget customs measures announced this week and how traders can get involved:
General Exports Updates
1. Most exporters not yet using CDS despite deadline later this year, webinar poll finds.
“On a webinar informing exporters about what they need to do to migrate from CHIEF to CDS yesterday (15 March), only 8% of the delegates said they were already using CDS for export declarations. The vast majority (79%) said they are not yet using CDS, with the remainder (13%) saying they were unsure.
Just under half of the audience said they felt either ‘very prepared’ (10%) or ‘quite prepared’ (38%) to start using CDS for export declarations, however, around two fifths said they felt ‘not very prepared’ (31%) or ‘not at all prepared’ (10%).”
Source: IOE&IT
2. Spring Budget 2023 Customs Package
“At Spring Budget 2023, the government announced a package of measures intended to simplify customs import and export processes for traders, taking advantage of new freedoms following EU exit whilst at the same time upholding the UK’s high regulatory and security standards at the border.”
Source: GOV.uk
3. DUP leader issues Windsor Framework update from USA as he outlines ‘key concerns’
“DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has said the party will need to see the legislation before agreeing to the Windsor Framework.
In a statement issued from Washington DC, he said: “We need to see the legislation, we need to ensure that what the Prime Minister is saying is translated into law and that the protection is robust and workable.
He continued: “What is in this Windsor Framework is insufficient. It does not meet all of our requirements, it does not go as far as we need, in terms of our tests and in terms of restoring fully Northern Ireland’s place within the internal market of the United Kingdom.”
Source: Belfast Live
Food Exports Updates
4. UK wheat exports hit near 40 month high in January
“On Friday, HMRC released the latest trade data, which includes volumes exported and imported up to the end of January. With a substantial exportable surplus of domestic grains (especially wheat) this season, are exports on track to shift this large surplus to prevent large carry-out stocks?
So far this season (Jul-Jan), the UK has exported 735.8Kt of wheat, which is over 2.5 times the volume shipped by this point in 2021/22 and the largest volume exported for this period since 2019/20. The pace has been picking up over recent months, with 159.5Kt of wheat exported in January, the largest monthly volume shipped since October 2019.”
Source: AHDB
5. UK pigmeat imports and exports record significant drop in January
“Total pig meat exports (excluding offal) in January were down nearly 20%, 3,700t on December, and nearly 21% 3,900t year-on-year. Exports to China were down just under 30%, 1,900t, on the month, with similar percentage declines seen on exports to Ireland (-940t) and France (-530t).
Year-on-year growth looks to have been stronger for EU countries, with shipments having increased between 240-400t to France, Germany, and Ireland. Meanwhile, volumes shipped to China have fallen 2,700t (37%) on the year.”
Source: Pig World
6. Jones Village Bakery set to triple exports in 2023
“Jones Village Bakery is expecting to more than triple its overseas sales this year following a major investment drive.
The business clocked up £1.5m in exports last year but expects to increase this figure to £5m in 2023 as demand for its products grows.”
Source: British Baker
7. Scottish food and drink exports soar to record
“Exports of Scottish food and drink products hit a record £8.1 billion last year, surging by £1.9bn or 30.6% from the prior 12 months to surpass levels before the coronavirus pandemic.
Industry body Scotland Food & Drink, analysing figures published by HM Revenue & Customs yesterday, noted the rise had been driven by strong growth in Scotch whisky and also in other categories such as cereals.
Scotch exports grew in 2022 by 37.2%, or £1.7bn, from the previous year. Scotland Food & Drink highlighting particularly strong advances for Scotch whisky in Singapore, India and Taiwan.”
Source: Yahoo News
8. Salmon makes up more than half of Scotland’s fish and seafood exports
“The HMRC statistics on national and regional trade show that fresh and chilled Scottish salmon made up 33% of the UK-wide fish and seafood total.
With smoked and processed salmon included, that figure rises to 41% – or £705m.
Scottish exports of all fish and seafood were valued at £1.04bn in 2022, which is 2% higher than 2021.
Fresh, whole Scottish salmon export sales of £578m were down 6%, however, compared with the 2021 figure of £614m.
The EU accounted for almost 64% of sales, with the US and Chinese markets remaining popular.”
Source: Fish Farmer Magazine
Construction & Equipment Exports News
9. UK’s construction machinery trade surplus narrows again
“The UK continues to export more construction equipment (excluding cranes) that it imports but the gap is narrowing.
After a growth spurt in the fourth quarter, 2022 exports of UK construction and earthmoving equipment reached a value of £4,012m, up 16% on 2021’s £3,442m.
In the fourth quarter of 2022, exports of construction and earthmoving equipment recorded the highest quarterly level of trade since at least 2013 (when the Construction Equipment Association’ s current monitoring service began), in both monetary value and tonnage shipped terms.”
Source: The Construction Index
10. UK approves increased submarine-related exports to Taiwan
“In 2022, Britain approved a significant increase in submarine parts and technology exports to Taiwan as it modernizes its naval forces, a step that might affect British-Chinese relations, Reuters reported on Monday.
The UK government export licensing data show that the value of licenses issued by the government to corporations for the sale of submarine-related components and technology to Taiwan reached a record 167 million pounds ($201.29 million) during the first nine months of last year. This is more than the preceding six years combined, according to Reuters.”
Source: Al Mayadeen
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