Member Article

2015 first quarter shows slight dip in North East exports

According to latest regional trade statistics, North East exports in Q1 2015 have shown a slight dip, with the number of North East exporters sitting at 1,017..

Totaling £3.2bn, figures are down from £3.3bn in Q4 2014, but encouragingly up from £3.1bn in the same period last year. Nationally, exports fell by 7% quarter-on-quarter, and fell by 5% from Q1 2014.

Jonathan Walker, Head of Policy and Campaigns, NECC said: “It’s reassuring that the North East continues to be the only English region with a consistently positive balance of trade and this strong performance is actually driven by a relatively small number of exporters.

“Total North East exports remain steady, with little growth or decline shown and this is a decent performance considering the fall in exports nationally. However, the number of exporters has risen in all regions except the North East, South East and Northern Ireland.

“Exporting is vital to the UK economy so there is a need for the Government to undertake activity to boost the number of companies trading internationally. Exporting to new markets can be a daunting prospect but there are real rewards available to companies willing to make that leap”.