Government in trade missions call to Northern Powerhouse businesses

Businesses across the Northern Powerhouse are being encouraged to register for the first of four new ‘premier’ trade missions which were launched on Friday (August 9) by the Department for International Trade (DIT).

The new missions, which begin in October, will see delegates benefit from multi-city/market stops and sector-specific insights from both public and private sector specialists.

The premier missions will run in addition to the Department’s existing trade missions programme.

Registrations for the first mission to Thailand and Indonesia, which departs on October 26, opened on Friday.

This mission will focus on transport, infrastructure and education.

The launch follows a highly successful trade missions programme in 2018 which saw 22 Northern Powerhouse missions delivered by DIT.

In total, between April 2016 and March 2019, DIT’s Northern Powerhouse team ran 59 trade missions to 14 countries with 1,119 company participants.

In this time, DIT and its predecessor helped UK businesses to export goods and services worth around £99bn.

DIT said £59.6bn-worth of goods were exported from the Northern Powerhouse in the 2018/19 financial year, up 2.4% on 2017/18. More than 19,000 Northern Powerhouse businesses exported goods in the first quarter of 2019 alone.

Paul Stowers, head of the North West region at the Department for International Trade, said: “I’m really excited to be launching this new offering which follows an incredibly successful Northern Powerhouse missions programme last year.

“The idea behind the premier missions is to provide a greater depth of insight for participating businesses and to raise the profile of the delegation.

“Our traditional missions programme includes trips to conferences and exhibitions, but these new missions will visit multiple locations in one or more markets, featuring sector-specific connections and insights from a range of leaders and experts in each.

“Exporting is key to the North’s economic success and with almost 70 International Trade Advisors in the region, the Department for International Trade stands ready to help businesses leap into new markets wherever possible.”

Andrew Cowan, chief executive of Manchester Airport, which is partnering with DIT for the mission to Thailand and Indonesia, said: “Manchester Airport is proud to play a pivotal role in supporting the international ambitions of businesses in all parts of the North.

“Access to the world’s most important global markets is key helping businesses flourish, which in turn helps create a balanced and outward-facing UK economy.

“We look forward to welcoming those taking part in these exciting missions through Manchester Airport in the months ahead.”

The programme is:

• Thailand and Indonesia, (October 26–November 2): Education, infrastructure and transport
• India (Mumbai & Pune), (November 4-8): Advanced manufacturing, engineering, tech & digital
• Colombia, (November 17-22): Infrastructure, rail, automotive and construction
• United States (Washington & Atlanta), (March 1-6): Life sciences

The premier missions will see groups of around 10-20 delegates, who will be chosen for their leadership and innovation in their sectors, visiting multiple locations where they will be introduced to potential partners and receive country specific advice.