Chesham and Amersham MP, Sarah Green, has called for the Department for International Trade to increase support for small exporters.

Speaking during a debate on the Trade (Australia and New Zealand) Bill on Monday, December 12, Green highlighted the fall in UK exports since 2020.

The MP comments on figures that show a 15 per cent decline in the number of UK exporters between 2020 and 2021, with a particularly sharp fall of 23 per cent in the South-East of England.

Ms Green said: “This will not be a surprise for business owners in Chesham and Amersham, several of whom have told me that the difficulties they have experienced exporting to Europe have forced them to give up on exporting altogether.

“The quality of advice on trading with Europe in recent years has been so low that it has left even experienced international exporters tearing their hair out.

“A repeat of that failure would seriously limit access to the benefits of the deals promised to exporters. Detailed guidance and expert advice is essential.”

“Boosting trade is about not just creating opportunities, but ensuring that those opportunities are open and accessible to a range of businesses of all sizes.”

Ms Green criticised the Government for its failure to support exporters and called for improved efforts to ensure SMEs can access the benefits of new Free Trade Agreements. She said:

The Chesham and Amersham MP, who is also the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for International Trade, voiced her concerns while speaking in support of her party’s amendment to the Bill which would have required the Government to produce a report on its impact on small and medium-sized enterprises.

Such an amendment would allow the Government to monitor the extent to which the promised benefits of the Australia and New Zealand Free Trade Agreements translate into real business gains and intervene to support SMEs if they are not.

Chesham and Amersham MP

Sarah Green