UK spent over £46m on Australia and New Zealand trade deals August 20, 2023 The UK government spent more than £46m on negotiating just two trade deals last year, it has been revealed. Ministers shelled out £46.2m during 2022-23 securing and implementing new trade deals with Australia and New Zealand, according to a recent parliamentary written question. Concerns have been raised over the expected benefit from the Australian and [...]
Fifth of UK importers altered supply chains due to global tensions, with China in focus August 8, 2023 More than a fifth of UK importers have been forced to alter supply chains as a result of geopolitical tensions, with China in sharp focus, a new survey has found. Some 20.5 per cent of companies, which are importers, have altered supply chains as a result of global tensions, according to a survey of more [...]
Some civil servants work from home 60 per cent of the week, new data shows July 20, 2023 Civil servants working on supporting the UK’s businesses were at their desks for just 40 per cent of the second week in July, government figures have revealed. Staff at the former Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) department came into the office for two fifths of the time during the week beginning Monday 10 July, [...]
UK firms looking to India for growth despite trade deal delays July 20, 2023 A host of UK firms are looking to expand their operations in India despite delays to the UK-India trade deal. India is now considered a core international growth market for UK mid-market firms, according to a survey of a survey of just over 600 medium-sized UK firms by accountancy firm Grant Thornton. Just over 70 [...]
UK set to open trade negotiations with Turkey July 18, 2023 The UK is set to pursue a new trade deal with Turkey in an effort to deepen relations with the country, the government has announced. Negotiations on an updated free trade agreement are expected to begin in 2024 after the two countries agreed there was scope to improve the existing deal. Britain’s trade with Turkey [...]
Business groups hail Indo-Pacific trade deal as boost for City despite minor growth bump July 16, 2023 Business groups have hailed the UK’s membership of a major Indo-Pacific trade bloc as a potential boost to the City today despite analysis showing a meagre growth bump from the deal over the long term.
Digitisation of trade docs would save firms £1.1bn and put UK ‘ahead of G7 and most the world’ July 11, 2023 Businesses are expected to save £1.1 billion over 10 years through a proposed change in the law that will allow for greater digitalisation of documents used in international trade, a minister has said. Minister for tech and the digital economy Paul Scully said the change would put the UK at the “forefront of international trade [...]
Cleverly to hail ‘new chapter’ in UK-EU relationship in Brussels today July 3, 2023 James Cleverly is today expected to hail a “new chapter” in the UK-EU relationship in his first speech to the European Union Parliament in Brussels. The foreign secretary will welcome a new era of refreshed “close and friendly UK-EU cooperation” as he addresses the UK-EU Parliamentary Partnership Assembly (PPA) in Brussels today. It follows the [...]
Brexit scaremongering must stop, says minister June 29, 2023 Total UK trade is up and Brexit scaremongering “has to stop”, a business minister has said. Nus Ghani told the Commons UK trade is thriving post-Brexit, as she dismissed concerns about the effects of the country’s withdrawal from the European Union as “scaremongering”. Her remarks came in response to a question about the impact of [...]
Badenoch slammed for ignoring Brexit realities and telling UK firms global trade ‘isn’t too tough’ June 20, 2023 Kemi Badenoch has been criticised by business groups for trying to “shift the blame” after she told British businesses that international trade “isn’t too tough”. The business and international trade secretary said today that the UK has “too many negative tropes about how difficult it all is”. Speaking at the launch of the first e-commerce [...]