Businesses warned the UK Government today that the environment for international traders needs to be improved if the UK is not to lose business to its European competitors. Traders were gathered at a meeting organised by SITPRO, the UK's trade facilitation agency, to preview the results of its recent consultation on the cost of international trade regulation.
During a lively discussion session businesses pointed out that unless the UK's government, ports and businesses work together to improve the functionality of our systems businesses may choose to locate their operations elsewhere. The message reinforced concerns highlighted by the World Bank's Doing Business Report, which in 2009 ranked the UK 28 th for ease of trading across borders behind many of our European counterparts.
The recent cross-government initiative to examine the cost of international trade regulation to business, which was announced in the 2008 Pre-Budget Report, was seen by the businesses at the meeting as a positive step towards the improvements that they desire. The findings unveiled by SITPRO today were felt to be a strong starting point for the creation of the government action plan to tackle this area.
This was the last London based event of the first World Trade Week UK, an initiative of the UK Government's Trade Policy Unit. Speaking at the event Claire Durkin, Director of the TPU, told delegates, "Trade has made us great and kept us going, and if we are smart enough it will keep us strong."
Speaking after the event SITPRO's Chief Executive, Malcolm McKinnon was also very positive about the future. He said, "SITPRO's consultation and this meeting have proved that business and government are keen to work together to ensure that the UK emerges from this recession as an attractive and profitable place to conduct international trade."
Notes to Editors
Review of the Cost of International Trade Regulation
The Chancellor's Pre-Budget Report said, "international trade represents a significant proportion of GDP and it is crucial that domestic trade regulation is as easy to comply with as possible, in order for UK based firms to remain internationally competitive. The Government is taking forward a Department for [Business, Innovation and Skills] and HMRC led work programme to review the cost to business of complying with international trade regulation and put forward an action plan alongside the 2009 Pre-Budget Report setting out how it will reduce costs to business."
A cross-Government project has been established to undertake this review. The objectives are to identify significant compliance costs to business from international trade regulation that could be reduced or avoided altogether, and to set out a practical course of action to make trade with the UK easier and less costly for UK traders.
An important part of the review process involves consultation with business. SITPRO, the UK's trade facilitation body, was asked to lead this aspect of the review.
SITPRO
SITPRO, the UK's Trade Facilitation Agency, was established in 1970 to simplify international trade and much of its work has focussed upon improving the procedures at ports and borders, looking at issues such as improving the arrangements for inspecting goods at the border and streamlining the submission of data to government.
SITPRO is a non-departmental public body funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and undertakes policy work at national, European and international levels.
For further information visit SITPRO's website at http://www.sitpro.org.uk/.
World Trade Week UK 2009
World Trade Week UK has highlighted the importance of global trade in creating jobs and growth. Through a series of events, reports and other activities, it has helped showcase the success of the UK as a trading nation and the importance of global trade to reducing global poverty.
World Trade Week UK is an initiative from the UK's Trade Policy Unit (TPU). TPU is a joint department that has brought together some 70 trade and development experts from the Department for International Development (DFID) and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).
For further information visit http://www.worldtradeweekuk.com/.
SITPRO News Release - 12 June 2009
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