Call for ‘trading spirit’ to boost Britain's export drive

Hopes of an export-led recovery for the UK will fall flat unless manufacturers rediscover their "trading spirit" and the Government offers more support, the British Chambers of Commerce warned today.

More than a quarter of firms do not trade overseas at all despite the pound's 25% slide in the past two years and a third want more help to boost exports, the BCC's survey of 500 firms found.

Nearly half of businesses surveyed believe there is enough work in the UK to fulfil their needs, while one in six said they had "limited knowledge" of exporting.

BCC director-general David Frost said: "British exports haven't grown as predicted despite the competitive valuation of sterling.

"Our industry needs to rediscover its trading spirit, and become far more proactive when it comes to exporting. Businesses must look for export opportunities for their products — especially in high-growth developing markets."

The BCC's export report comes after official figures showed the UK's widening trade gap which is likely to slow overall growth in the final quarter of the year.

The lobby group wants a state-backed trade credit insurance scheme to boost exports with trade finance, stronger promotion of UK trade and more research and development tax credits.