Speech made by Shevaun Haviland, Director General, to the BCC’s Driving International Trade Conference 2026 on Thursday 26 March
Thank you, Lizzy. Good afternoon, everyone.
What a fantastic conference this has been.
A day full of formidable speakers, sharp insights and – most importantly – great opportunities for trade.
This morning we heard from our new BCC President, Andy Haldane.
He set out in the clearest, possible terms, the economic power of free trade; remade.
Investment Minister, Lord Stockwood, then analysed how the UK can win the global investment race.
U.S. Ambassador, Warren Stephens, talked about the strength of the economic relationship between our two countries, which endures, despite some significant differences.
Minister Falconer talked about how the Foreign Office stands ready to help navigate the opportunities and challenges in global markets.
And in the panels and breakout sessions, over the last few hours, we’ve heard from business leaders, academics, and diplomats about a host of trade opportunities:
From India, the US and Southeast Asia.
To Nigeria, Hong Kong and Europe.
The world is full of exciting possibilities.
I also want to take a moment to thank our partners for today’s amazing conference.
Our Headline Partner, Navigator Global by Santander.
Our breakout partners GS1 UK, The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London, Invest Hong Kong, and the Nigerian British Chambers of Commerce.
I also want to thank Chamber Customs, Corpay, and SGS for their support.
And Trainline Business, our official travel partner, and Slovenia Business our showcase partner.
Finally, of course – a big thank you to Lizzy, who has skilfully guided us through the day as our host.
I hope we’ve left you wanting more, because I have a new date for your diaries –
Thursday 25 June.
We’ll be back here at the QE2 for our Global Annual Conference.
Its focus will be on Delivering Growth
And trade, of course, will be a big part of that too.
Tickets go on sale next Wednesday. So please do join us.
Before I go any further, I want to invite you to pause for a moment.
Look around the room.
Look at the connections you’ve made today.
At the people you started conversations with.
At the opportunities you’ve uncovered.
THIS is what trade looks like.
Trade doesn’t start with a treaty or a white paper.
It starts with people.
It starts with relationships.
It starts with moments – just like today.
And the Chamber Network is here to help you turn these moments into momentum.
But… we need to be honest with ourselves. Times are tough.
The global economy is reeling from the Middle East conflict.
Trade routes are severely disrupted;
Energy costs and wider prices are soaring;
The impact of this war is profound, and I fear things may get worse before they get better.
And piled on top of that is the ongoing uncertainty caused by U.S. tariffs.
The consequence: British businesses are getting squeezed from both sides.
While tariffs make our exports more expensive to sell. Rising costs make them more expensive to produce.
Be in no doubt, war and tariffs are hugely damaging for global trade.
They are bad for businesses, and bad for consumers.
The sooner the current conflict ends the better it will be for everyone.
Our latest economic forecast shows the early impacts:
UK growth down to just 1% this year.
Higher inflation.
No interest rate cuts.
And export growth of just 0.7%.
So, my message to our government in these turbulent times is simple.
Continue to keep calm heads.
Keep talking to business.
And be prepared to act.
With energy bills rising and no cap for businesses, Ministers need to keep every option on the table.
If we want the UK to stay competitive,
To stay resilient,
And to stay open for business,
Then government and business must navigate this storm together.
But even in these challenging times, I believe there is absolutely hope in trade.
When the International Chambers of Commerce were founded after World War One, they were known as ‘the merchants of peace’.
They understood that a system of free and open trade would create stability, and therefore, prosperity for everyone.
This isn’t just a slogan from the past; it is a reality for today.
And our Chamber network sits right at the heart of making that happen,
Because promoting trade runs in our veins.
When the first British Chambers were established 250 years ago, their offer to business was simple;
We’ll help you find overseas markets, and we’ll help you navigate customs complexity to reach them.
That mission hasn’t changed.
Chambers are still helping businesses go global, confidently and successfully, even when the headwinds are at their strongest.
This enabling role – is unique to our Network.
Every day, in every corner of the country, Chambers are delivering growth through trade:
- Our international trade teams are the engine rooms for exporters. Keeping cargo moving and making sure perishable goods aren’t left on the dockside.
- Chamber Customs helps take away the headache and complexity of navigating the labyrinth of global regulation.
- Our new Trade Accelerator programme is linking UK life science ambition, with the vast opportunities to be found in Singapore and beyond.
We believe this targeted pilot will become a model for the future of the UK’s global export strategy.
- And then there is our Diplomatic Advisory Hub, our pioneering partnership with the Foreign Office. Announced at this event by the Foreign Secretary last year.
Launched three weeks ago it has already engaged thousands of businesses with worries around shipping, energy costs, and supply chains.
This is the Chamber Network in action.
Not talking about trade. Delivering it.
Over the last five years, I’ve had the privilege and joy of travelling the length and breadth of the UK and all over the world in this role.
With every Chamber visit, I’ve met pioneering businesses who are trading, growing, and hungry for more.
Companies like Sound Leisure, which builds beautiful jukeboxes at its Leeds factory to sell around the world.
A true UK export success story.
The US is a big market for their jukeboxes. But when the tariffs came in, they refocused their attention to…. the Middle East.
Now, they’re having to pivot their export strategy again and are looking at fresh opportunities in the EU.
In these challenging times, their local Chamber is right there alongside them.
Opening doors, solving problems and accelerating growth.
At the British Chambers of Commerce, we champion trade where it matters most.
In every Ministerial meeting, I bang the drum for our exporters.
Why?
The maths is simple.
In 2025, a 2% increase in exports could have added 0.6 percent to GDP.
When your starting point is just 1.3% growth, that’s a pretty significant opportunity.
And that is the scale of the prize on offer when government takes trade seriously.
Now, I want to give credit where it’s due.
The government has made some real strides.
We’ve had positive early momentum on the UK/EU reset. That must now lead to delivery in 2026.
We’ve had a landmark free trade agreement with India,
And the Government has negotiated hard to get a deal with the US.
We’ve had an updated agreement with South Korea.
Talks are continuing with the Gulf Cooperation Council, Switzerland and Turkiye.
And we now have a new trade strategy, launched by the Prime Minister at our annual conference last summer.
This is real progress.
BUT…
And you knew there was a ‘but’ coming.
Signing a trade deal is only half the job.
The vast treasure trove of data from our Insights Unit shows that SMEs are struggling to take advantage of these agreements.
In our last economic survey only 24% of firms reported increased export sales – while 28% reported a decline.
That’s a tale of weak growth that stretches back beyond Brexit and the pandemic.
To me, that underlines the importance of export support.
Last year, I stood here and called for a system of export support that truly works for business.
A year on, my message hasn’t changed.
But the urgency has grown.
Cutbacks under successive governments – have left Britain with a postcode lottery of export support.
So, while Scotland, Wales and some metro-regions still have good support.
Large swathes of England have been left in a vacuum.
That can’t be right?
A business in Ipswich shouldn’t have less support to export than one in Inverness.
A firm in Kent should not have fewer opportunities than one in Cardiff.
Either by accident or design – this is the reality of export support in Britain today.
Let me be crystal clear – this is not about business coming to Government with a begging bowl.
We understand the challenging fiscal environment.
This is a clear-headed business case to deploy the catalytic power of the state and make a significant return on investment.
Because supporting exports works.
Recent analysis by the Welsh government found that for every £1 it spent on export support, £20 of new export revenue was unlocked.
Analysis of the Scottish system estimates that their trade support would lead to an 140% increase in trade value.
And the last Department for Business and Trade review of trade support provision highlighted positive impacts on firm survival, likelihood to trade, and employment.
This is a return on investment story that no-one serious about delivering growth can ignore.
So, my message to government is this;
Export support delivers growth.
And with 250 years of trade impact under our belt – Chambers can be the natural delivery partner.
There are already some great examples of this.
In the West Midlands, Chambers are working with the Combined Authority to help businesses explore new markets. Firms like The Herd, which started at a kitchen table in Coventry and now sells its marketing services to 12 global markets from the US to Thailand.
We need more of that kind of partnership working.
Businesses value the support they get from the Department for Business and Trade, UK Export Finance and the British Business Bank.
But for every success story, there are still too many struggling.
So – let’s work together to unlock the untapped export potential of UK plc.
The unrest in the Middle East means 2026 is going to be challenging.
Challenging for economies
Challenging for business
Challenging for trade.
But in a more uncertain world, the answer is not retreat.
It is to reach out.
To build more connections.
To open more doors.
To trade more, not less.
That’s how we’ll get growth.
That’s why we must double down on our work with government.
Even in these difficult times, the British Chambers of Commerce and our global network are not observers of trade.
We are your enablers
Your drivers.
And your deliverers.
Together, let’s do more.
Thank you.