I have written this book for exporters (and non-exporters) with the aim of providing a practical source of help without surrounding the subject with an overwhelming amount of detail.
First, let us not be complacent regarding the UK status as a trading nation: in 2017 the United Kingdom held 11th place in the world league table of exports. Our share of world exports is about 2.60%. Our main export partners are the EU (50%) and USA (20%).
One of the most important issues with cross-border trade is accuracy of documentation. Seasoned exporters check import tariffs regularly to ensure that packing and presentation keep up to date with tariffs, enabling them to stay competitive. However, even with the best preparation, things can still go awry. A consignment destined for Brazil was recently impounded by Brazilian Customs because a warehouseman’s hat had been inadvertently left on the pallet and had not, of course, been declared on the export documentation!
My trade experience spans in roles on over four continents, of which the last years were spent in Europe, Latin America, Asia, Middle East, Africa and the United States. I worked as a Consultant for the Department for International Trade supporting the UK Government’s new Agri-Tech Strategy by providing trade advice to increase UK exports. I was Agricultural Economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture; focused on agribusiness and precision agriculture and also Senior Trade Specialist working for the U.S. Department of Commerce, helping to foster new business in several industry sectors: agriculture, food & drink, automotive, oil & gas, construction, among others. I am currently running my own consultancy in London, working with various Government agencies, associations, chambers of commerce and private clients.
Now a days, I am considered by my friends and colleagues a guru in International Trade, but I must confess that my first venture into exporting was a disaster. I exported 300 water pumps from China to Colombia and everything went wrong. I always say that in life you have two options and is not win or lose but win or learn, you must never lose but learn. As the old joke said: “Good Judgment comes from experience…and experience? well, that comes from poor judgment! I hope to share with you all my experience in International Trade by all the mistakes and poor judgment I have experienced and witnessed by helping hundreds of companies to export.
I must admit that in my 25 years of experience in International Trade, I haven’t seen as great an opportunity for British companies as what lies ahead in Latin America. Taken together, Latin America & the Caribbean's economy is equivalent to the 4th largest in the world, after the USA, China and the EU. The region’s combined population is 650 million people and middle classes have grown by 50% between 2000 and 2010, helping drive demand for modern infrastructure, goods and services. The UK exported £9 billion to the region in 2018 and there are currently 180 Latin America & Caribbean investors in the UK. We’re also seeing the largest LATAM markets increasingly open up to global trade. Mexico is going to join Brazil in the world’s top 10 economies by 2030. Agriculture production in the region will have to grow by 80% between 2007 and 2050 to meet an expected increase of more than 35% in the population in the same period.
Today, it’s more practical than ever for a company like yours, regardless of size, to sell goods and services across the globe. 95 percent of the world’s potential consumers are outside of the United Kingdom, and the global affinity for “Made in UK” products and services is second to none. Many exporters continue to boost their bottom line and build their competitiveness by selling to world markets, and you can too. UK small and medium-sized companies—firms with fewer than 500 employees—account for 98 percent of the nearly 280,000 exporting businesses. The internet, improved logistics options, and array of government export assistance has made exporting more viable for even the smallest businesses. In 2018, the value of UK good services exports was an impressive £646 billion. And as thousands of exporters can attest, diversifying your customer base through exporting can help to weather changes in the domestic and global economies.
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