British goods exports have fallen 12 % since 2019 – the worst performance in the G7. The Office for National Statistics confirms we now export less to the EU than to the United States, despite being next door. Small and medium firms, who make up 30 % of total exports, have been hit hardest. One in six previous EU exporters has simply stopped trading with the continent because the paperwork and costs are too high.
The government promised “Global Britain.” Instead we got 400 new forms, £15,000 a year in customs fees, and no meaningful help for firms turning over less than £10 million.
We need a proper SME Export Academy – £200 million over four years to give 50,000 small businesses the practical support they actually need:
- Free half-day export clinics in every major town
- A £2,000 export voucher for every first-time exporter to pay for customs agents, translations, or trade-fair stands
- A single digital export portal that pre-fills 90 % of the paperwork using data the government already holds
- Dedicated export mentors for the first 12 months of trading
This is not charity; it is investment. Every £1 spent on export support returns £20–£30 in extra exports within three years (UK Export Finance data). Germany’s Mittelstand export machine is powered by exactly this kind of hands-on help. We can do the same.
Right now, a furniture maker in Stoke can’t afford the £7,000 it costs to ship a single container to France. A food producer in Devon gave up on Germany because the veterinary certificates cost more than the profit margin.
Britain used to be a trading nation. We can be again – but only if we stop treating small exporters as an afterthought.
Launch the £200 million SME Export Academy and watch British goods flood back onto European shelves.
The 1832 Club is fighting for these changes. The more members we have, the louder our voice in Westminster.
Join today from just £5/month or £40/year and help to support pro-SME candidates.
Together we can make a difference.