Firms are urged to secure new deals overseas

INTERNATIONAL Trade Secretary Liam Fox has urged British businesses to take advantage of new opportunities to export around the world, with his Department for International Trade highlighting 50 countries as potential markets for UK firms.

Dr Fox said UK firms were “world leaders in many sectors”, including financial services and technology, and there was a chance to “help more businesses achieve their exporting potential”.

The Scot has previously criticised British bosses for failing to boost exports, suggesting that some executives were more interested in playing golf than working to strike overseas deals.

Officials in his department have identified opportunities in more than 20 sectors in 50 countries, including healthcare projects in the Gulf, selling financial services in Australia or Brazil and infrastructure projects in Hong Kong and mainland China.

Dr Fox said: “With a new year comes new opportunities and I want to encourage businesses big and small, up and down the country, to take advantage of them.

“From technology in India to aerospace in the USA, there’s no shortage of demand and UK businesses have the knowledge, skills and expertise to truly add value and make the UK a partner of choice.

“We are world leaders in many sectors such as financial services and technology. My department has already identified more than 50 countries that could benefit from British expertise and we are continuing work on exploring more export opportunities with other nations.

“We have a real opportunity to build on this country’s wide range of successful exports.”