10 UK Export News You Might’ve Missed – Week #4
(10 UK Export news is also published on LinkedIn)
Welcome to this edition of the Expordite newsletter, covering the export and international trade news from week 4 of 2023.
But first, I’d like to give a shout-out to the Department for International Trade (DIT) for organising an excellent event in Bristol on Wednesday. I really enjoyed hearing the insights from global trade thought leaders – very topical!
You can read my post here – make sure to check out the photos!
And now, for the top 10 export news you might’ve missed in week 4 of 2023 (January 23-29):
General Export Updates
1. British Chambers of Commerce: Huge export issues after Brexit (video)
Source: Sky News
2. IOE&IT launches its new Special Interest Group on export controls
“The The Institute of Export & International Trade is launching a new Special Interest Group (SIG) for export control professionals next week and members are invited to attend a launch event on Monday (30 January) to find out more about it.”
Source: IOE&IT
3. MPs launch investigation into export opportunities for UK businesses
“The International Trade Committee today launches a new inquiry into the export opportunities available to UK businesses.
The cross-party Committee of MPs calls for written evidence submissions which examine the current situation for exporters, the support offered by the Government, and how easily exporters can access it.
Over the course of its inquiry, the Committee will investigate the key barriers preventing businesses from exporting, how these can be addressed, and whether the Government could provide additional support.”
Source: UK Parliament
4. Trade Secretary Unveils Top 5 Priorities for Trade
“It’s too easy for trade to become stuck and blocked. For well-meaning rules to become needless regulation.
But I can’t solve your problems if I don’t know what they are. I need to know which keys are sticking, which levers need pulling, which wheels need greasing.
So I need you to tell me the problems you face.”
Source: GOV.UK
Food Export Updates
5. Newly established Food and Drink Export Council hosts first meeting
“Andrew Bowie announced that the inaugural meeting of the FDEC took place on Wednesday 25 January 2023.
The launch of the FDEC reflects the UK Government’s strategy to promote exports from all parts of the UK and level up the country. It is a genuine partnership which recognises and respects the unique and different approaches to supporting exports that have evolved across the whole of the UK. The FDEC has no remit to discuss strategic trade policy, negotiations of free trade agreements, or areas of devolved or reserved competence.”
Sources: UK Parliament, FarmingUK
6. Bacon drives growth in UK pig meat trade
“In the year to date (Jan – Nov), 341,400 tonnes of pork has been exported, an increase of 7.1% (22,500 tonnes) on the same period in 2021. All categories except fresh/frozen have recorded year on year growth in volumes. Bacon saw the largest uplift, up 6,207 tonnes (68.8%) compared to the same period in 2021 returning to pre-pandemic levels. Processed pig meat saw the second largest uplift, up an additional 2,400 tonnes (20.2%) on the year. Fresh/frozen pork saw a slight easing year on year, back 0.8% (1,400 tonnes), however remained the largest category with 174,400 tonnes exported in the year to date, accounting for 51.1% of all exported pig meat.”
Source: ADHB
7. Post-Brexit farm subsidies in England revealed
“Farmers in England will be able to receive government funding for up to 280 different actions that protect the environment, from conserving hedgerows to maintaining peatlands, under a comprehensive overhaul of farming subsidies.
The long-awaited announcement on Thursday shows farmers what will be expected of them if they apply for government incentives called environmental land management schemes (ELMs), worth £2.4bn a year for this parliament.”
Source: The Guardian
Medical Exports Updates
8. Medicines manufacturing has the potential to drive UK growth over the next 10 years
“A new report from the Medicines Manufacturing Industry Partnership (MMIP), ‘Fulfilling the potential identified in the Government’s Life Sciences Vision’ shows that medicines and medical technology manufacturing currently deliver annual exports worth over £30bn for the UK, on top of making a £32.1 billion (gross value added or GVA) contribution to UK economic output in 2019. This is the largest GVA contribution from the life sciences sector.”
Source: ABPI
Tech & Environment Exports Updates
9. Rising production of electric vehicles puts shine on falling UK car manufacturing
“There was some good news on production levels of electrified vehicles, with almost a third of all cars made fully electric or hybrid, according to the SMMT.
Electric vehicles were worth £10bn in exports alone, but overall international sales were down 14%.
Despite being down 10%, the EU remained the sector’s largest market with 57.6% of exports heading into the bloc.”
Source: IOE&IT
10. MPs “surprised and disappointed” as government rejects key plastic waste recommendations
“The cross-party MPs’ parliamentary scrutiny body conducted an extensive inquiry beginning in July 2021. The headline recommendation of its report, published in November 2022, called for a ban on the export of all plastic waste – a large amount of which ends up being illegally dumped – by the end of 2027.
The Committee heard that the UK is highly reliant on plastic waste exports, sending around 60% of the plastic waste it generates abroad for processing. It took evidence of alarming accounts of some British plastic waste being dumped and burned in Turkey, causing “irreversible and shocking” environmental and human health impacts.
However, the government response to the report, published today, disagreed with the recommended ban on the export of plastic waste, saying legitimate exports have a role in the management of UK waste. “
Source: UK Parliament
In other news, Expordite has released a software update! You can now use it to calculate your customs duties, and taxes when exporting from the UK to over 100 countries, saving yourself the hassle and expense of customs delays at the destination country.
We’ll shortly post a tutorial on how to use this simple but very handy tool.
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