When the Government announced its trade strategy this week, I found myself thinking less about politics and more about the clients we work with every day, businesses that are already exporting, or thinking about it, and wondering what’s next in an unpredictable global market.
After years of grand statements and often frustrating bureaucracy, this new approach is striking because of its tone: pragmatic, data-driven, and focused on services, the part of the economy where the UK genuinely leads.
Services make up around £500 billion of UK exports a year, and yet too often, the support and policy frameworks have lagged behind.
The opportunity if we’re ready for it
Regulatory red tape, lack of mutual recognition, and limited access to practical finance are some of the most common barriers we hear about. If the new strategy genuinely sets out to tackle those, then it’s a real opportunity.
So, how do we make the most of it?
That’s the key question I think every internationally-minded business should be asking right now.
The headlines are helpful. A £20 billion boost to UK Export Finance, action on regulatory barriers, and renewed focus on the EU, China, the Gulf and beyond.
However, the detail will matter, and the support businesses need to handle that detail won’t come automatically.
Questions every exporter should be asking
Are you clear on which markets still present friction since Brexit? Do you know what’s changing in your sector when it comes to cross-border services, qualifications, or data handling? Are you confident in your ability to tap into export funding, or even aware that it’s available?
For many of our clients, the real challenge is clarity. They want to expand, to grow, to work across borders.
With this in mind, they will need help understanding how the rules work, what the risks are, and what practical steps they can take to get there.
From strategy to substance
This is where the conversation needs to go next. Trade strategies only become meaningful when they result in confident, prepared businesses actually doing more trade.
That means understanding not just where the opportunities are, but how to access them without being derailed by red tape, tax exposure, or regulatory surprises.
There’s a lot still to unpack in this new approach.
The idea of a fund to tackle barriers to services trade sounds promising. So does the ambition to bring small and mid-sized businesses more actively into global markets.
Ultimately though, the strategy’s value will be judged by outcomes, not announcements.
Are you ready for a possible shift in how the UK supports exporters? Could this be the moment to revisit markets you’d previously written off? And do you have the right advice in place to act quickly as things evolve?
We’ll be watching developments closely, not just the funding and trade deals, but the on-the-ground impact for our clients.
If even half of what’s been outlined becomes real policy, there could be real momentum for UK exporters over the coming years. But only for those ready to move.
If you’re exploring new markets or want to understand how these changes could affect your business, contact our team today for guidance.