Latest updates and stories from Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce and its Members

Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with Central Bedfordshire Council, is proud to announce the launch of a targeted support programme aimed at assisting businesses engaged in, or aspiring to engage in, international trade.

Companies that import and export are having a tough time recently with the disruption of Brexit, spiralling prices, and the war in Ukraine, so some positive news would be welcome. And on the surface, the recent reversal of planned import controls delivers this.

• 71% of exporters say EU trade deal is not enabling them to grow or increase sales

• Only 1 in 8 exporters think it is helping them grow or increase sales


• Majority think it has pushed up costs, increased paperwork and delays, and put the UK at a competitive disadvantage.

On the second anniversary of Brexit, and with huge lorry queues being reported at Dover last week, the BCC is calling for urgent action to improve trade with Europe.

The British Chambers of Commerce is today setting out its manifesto to recruit legions of new UK exporters as its research continues to show poor overseas trade growth:

• In Q4 of 2021, just over a quarter of exporting firms (29%) saw their overseas sales increase

• Almost half (47%) saw no change, and a quarter (24%) reported a decrease

• This is despite substantially more firms reporting improved domestic conditions, with 45% confirming increased UK sales in Q4

There’s a wide world out there just waiting for your business to fulfil its needs for goods, products, and services.

But how do you tap into these international markets? And how do you navigate customs, VAT, freight, local language and business culture, and every other challenge along the way?

The UK left the Brexit standstill transition period on its expiry on 1
January 2021. The terms of the new EU-UK trading arrangements –
in the Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) – took effect the
same day. In accordance with this, the EU decided to introduce full
border controls on GB goods from 1 January 2021. The UK
Government decided to defer the implementation of inbound GB
border controls in respect of EU goods until 1 January 2022.

It’s that time of year again when we look back to the triumphs and tribulations of the past and raise a toast to the opportunities of the future. And from where we’re sitting, there’s much to report!

With the UK’s exit from the EU now officially achieved, (ongoing wrinkles and wrangles notwithstanding!), many businesses are revisiting the prospects for international trade both within and outside the EU.

For us at the Chamber, international trade is now scheduled to become a year-long focus, and we have added extensive content to our website to give your business access to the international trade resources and services it needs now more than ever, as we explore briefly below.

Many UK exporters are treading water at a time of deep uncertainty, according to the latest Quarterly International Trade Outlook from the British Chambers of Commerce, in partnership with DHL.