The Department for International Trade (DIT), launched its new export strategy today. It is a 12 point plan which aims to give businesses the tools they need to export, with a target of helping businesses hit £1 trillion in exports. The UK currently exports £600 billion in goods and services, but only 1 in 10 companies export. DIT aims to have a first-class export support framework to allow more businesses to succeed in the global marketplace.

The 12-point strategy includes:

• Launching the ‘Made in the UK, Sold to the World’ campaign, championing the UK’s priority sectors through an innovative, localised marketing campaign that will promote the best of British goods and services in our towns and cities.
• The Export Support Service provides a single point of contact for exporters to Europe. Since launching in October the new export hotline and online service has helped hundreds of businesses to get exporting (4).
• UK Export Academy expansion to offer SMEs in all parts of the UK, including Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland the chance to learn how to navigate the technicalities of exporting and how to find new opportunities in overseas markets.
• A new UK Tradeshow Programme will be bigger and better targeted to give UK companies, especially SMEs, a leg-up to exhibit their first-class products at the world’s biggest tradeshows.
• UK Export Finance – our world-leading export credit agency – will expand its offer with new products and a wider delivery network that will make it easier for UK exporters to secure business from overseas buyers.
• Export Champions, ensuring businesses can build and learn from exporting successes through business-to-business networking and peer-to-peer learning
• Internationalisation Fund, open to SMEs in England, will aim to grow international sales, and has facilitated £4 million of support to SMEs attending Trade Fairs.

The Export Support Service is a new DIT-managed centralised helpline service/one-stop-shop for exporters to get government advice and support. It will take all and any UK export questions from trade, and do the leg-work to get an answer by reaching out to HMG/gov.uk /HMRC or overseas contacts.

You can read more about the new strategy and the Export Support Service here: Link to source