Chambers of Commerce dedicated to boosting British exports
18/06/10 | 17:12
Chambers of Commerce from across the UK met at a unique two day conference dedicated to international trade promotion this week.
The conference, sponsored by RBS, explored new ways for the Chamber Network to promote UK trading opportunities abroad, and outlined a fresh strategy on how the business membership group can continue to deliver improved export services to British businesses at a time of austerity in the public finances and intense international competition.
The British Chambers of Commerce, the umbrella body for accredited Chambers in the UK, is currently the only organisation authorised to provide a national export certification documentation service – ensuring Chambers continue to have a unique role in helping to support and boost Britain’s trade activity.
Additionally, BCC runs two major export promotion programmes on behalf of UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) – the Export Marketing Research Scheme and the Export Communications Review.
UKTI’s Director of Regions, Martin Cook, spoke at the event in Birmingham – along with the BCC’s interim Director of International Trade, Geoff Runcie.
Commenting, David Frost, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce said:
“Increasing our export potential in goods and services will form a key part of a rebalanced UK economy that is both successful and growing.
“This country has some hugely successful exporters, large and small, but we don’t have enough of them. A major role for Chambers of Commerce – working with our partners at UKTI, in Government and in banking – is to get more businesses first of all thinking about trading overseas, and then more importantly, being successful at it. The Chamber Network is dedicated to achieving that aim, and that is what this event was all about.”
Ends
Media Contact:
Sam Turvey
Tel: 020 7654 5813
Email: s.turvey@britishchambers.org.uk
Notes to Editors:
1. The BCC has campaigned hard over the past 12 months to boost the number of UK-based firms thinking about exporting overseas. Its last report – Exporting Britain: Trade Finance – recommended the Government establishes a short-term export trade finance scheme to ensure UK exporters can continue trading overseas when the market experiences financial shocks, such as future recessions.
2. The trade conference took place on the 17th and 18th June 2010.
3. Click on the link for more information about the export schemes run by the BCC - http://www.britishchambers.org.uk/zones/export