On Friday, I was pleased to welcome delegates to SussExport held in conjunction with the Department for International Trade and hosted at Wilton Park near Steyning. This is a fantastic event bringing together local businesses from across Sussex, government ministers, parliamentarians, local government and international trade ambassadors in a series of workshops, presentations and networking opportunities.
This was the second year that it was held and with almost double the number of attendees, this year it focused on supporting local businesses to seek new export opportunities and helping to grow the skills of their workforce. Business leaders were able to speak with trade ambassadors from major trading markets such as Germany, Switzerland and South Korea, ensuring that Sussex is firmly on the map of the best places to do business. The ambassadors were able to see first-hand the broad spectrum of Sussex manufacturers, food producers and tech entrepreneurs.
Ranil Jayawardena MP, the Minister for International Trade, delivered the keynote speech and covered the multiple trade opportunities, resources and crucial introductions his department can offer. He highlighted the number of completed and ongoing trade deals the department was negotiating, including recently signed deals with Australia and New Zealand along with upcoming deals with India and Mexico. We were able to meet with international trade experts from the Department of Trade along with Andrew Mitchell the Director General and Tom Cargill the Chief Executive of Wilton Park.
Exports play a crucial role in the UK Economy and sustaining jobs across the country. UK exports were worth an amazing £650 billion last year, up almost 9% compared to the previous year. And they support one in five jobs. Amidst all of the turmoil in Westminster last week, it was good to be able to focus on something that could help all of us in West Sussex to benefit from a more prosperous economy.
ENDS
