Local Support, International Reach
UK banks agree £11 billion lending packages to support small business growth, particularly for small and mid-sized enterprises. UK businesses to benefit from a landmark £11 billion lending package to help them invest and expand abroad, to grow their businesses and the economy. The lending commitment, from the UK’s five leading banks, is one of the largest collective moves by the banking sector in over a decade, representing an historic show of confidence...
Read moreResponding to news that the US plans to introduce fresh 10% tariffs on UK goods, from next month, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce said: “New tariffs on goods exported to the US will be more bad news for UK exporters, already struggling...
Read moreThe All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for International Trade and Investment is inviting businesses to contribute to their ‘Trade Triangle’ Inquiry. This inquiry examines how the Government’s three flagship trade strategies released over the summer – the Modern Industrial Strategy, the Small Business Plan, and the Trade Strategy – will...
Read moreA new survey by the BCC’s Insights Unit of 989 businesses (96% SMEs) shows EU trade is becoming increasingly difficult, and this year’s reset needs to continue at real pace in 2026 to deliver vital deals for businesses. The BCC has used the data to create a business manifesto for the EU Reset...
Read moreReacting to the latest trade data for October from the Office for National Statistics, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the BCC, said: “Services export growth has been sluggish for several months and this trajectory continued in October. On goods, the rollercoaster ride of 2025 has continued with...
Read moreReacting to news of a pharmaceuticals deal with the US, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the BCC, said: “The original trade deal, agreed with the US in May, promised preferential outcomes on pharmaceuticals tariffs for the UK. We are pleased to see this has now been delivered,...
Read moreResponding to news of the Government’s plan to widen customs charges to low value goods entering the UK, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy, said: “This has been on the cards for a while as the US has already made this change and the EU will do so at...
Read moreResponding to the launch of a Critical Minerals Strategy, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy, said: “If the UK is to keep its place at the table of the world’s biggest and most developed economies then it must diversify and improve its supply chain security. “Advanced manufacturing needs guaranteed...
Read moreCommenting on the latest ONS trade data, BCC Head of Trade Policy, William Bain, said: “UK trade is heading along two distinct paths. There is a steady rise in services, which already account for more than half of UK exports, but trade in goods remains in flux. Manufacturers are...
Read moreCommenting on the latest ONS trade data, BCC Head of Trade Policy, William Bain, said: “The first month of reduced automotive tariffs has had a positive effect on US exports alongside more certainty on the outlook for other manufactured goods sectors. “But far more work is needed on US...
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