Friends,
Around 6 months ago I addressed you from the main conference hall in Manchester - in my 3rd week as the Secretary of State for International Trade.
And let me tell you – what a six months it has been since then….
I paid tribute to the work done by my predecessor who was an excellent Trade Secretary, who is now convening a diplomatic response to a global crisis.
Conservatives delivering for Britain around the world.
Since I was appointed, I’ve closed two trade deals, the first ones negotiated from scratch in over forty years.
Bringing our total up to deals with 70 countries worth around £772 billion…
The first, our deal with our Australian friends from down under, could boost the North West’s economy, by around £190 million.
And the second, our deal with New Zealand, could open the door to greater trade for the nearly 700 businesses here in the North-West alone.
Supercharging digital trade between our markets by making the exchange of data quicker and more secure…
…and making business travel easier and more convenient by providing a new, tailored, visa entry route for UK-based professionals…
And speaking of digital agreements – we delivered the first of its kind Digital Trade Agreement with Singapore, which will take our £16 billion trading relationship to the next level.
I’m proud to say that we’ve now reached the final stages of negotiations with the Trans-Pacific Partnership - CPTPP – a trading bloc worth £8.4 trillion a year that will strengthen our economic ties around the world…
But beyond these nation focused negotiations, my ministers – Penny Mordaunt, Mike Freer, Ranil Jayawardena, Lord Grimstone - and I are out there breaking down barriers faced by British businesses every day.
In the last financial year, we cut over 200 barriers to trading overseas – ensuring UK businesses have the best opportunities to sell our products and services around the globe…
… and just this week Chile opened its market to British Pork for the first time.
Proving the value of agility, on the world stage…
As an independent sovereign-trading nation, we are setting course for a truly Global Britain.
2022 is set to be a busy year as we negotiate the next tranche of trade deals to boost all parts of our economy, including…
Israel, Canada, Mexico, India, GCC
And, of course, the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Trade is a driving force behind the creation of jobs and higher living standards for people and communities in every part of the UK – as well as around the globe.
The UK has a long history of being a world-centre for the trading of goods and services.
Just two weeks ago, while hosting the Board of Trade up the coast in Barrow, I was fascinated to learn its long history as a trading hub.
Over 6000 years ago, traders from Barrow travelled near and far to barter their axe-heads for other goods
Joined by the amazing Conservative MP for Barrow and Furness, Simon Fell, I saw first-hand some of his plans for his constituency….
We visited a number of Maritime businesses that punch well above their weight in, creating highly skilled jobs, winning global contracts for submarines and offshore windfarms, and exporting the best of Barrow around the world.
Through our campaign ‘Made in the UK, Sold to the World’ we will continue to help many businesses from across the United Kingdom do just that.
Conference, you’ll forgive me, I must mention my beautiful constituency Berwick-Upon-Tweed – also a trading hot spot for hundreds of years trading eggs, wool and timber.
You’d expect me to say this, but to this day the Berwick mayoralty remains the third most important in the England – following those early trading links which brought benefits to the whole of the country.
I am delighted that our Prime Minister Boris Johnson is keen to reignite communities like Barrow and Berwick through our levelling up agenda.
Since leaving the European Union, we have built – and will continue to build - trading relationships with our friends and allies around the world.
Relationships that we can rely on not just for trade but for support in the years and decades ahead.
It is times like this when we realise who are friends are.
Russia’s actions against Ukraine are unprovoked, premeditated and a barbaric attack against a sovereign democratic state.
It is right that the UK Government is single-minded in our efforts to isolate Russia and weaken Putin’s ability to wage war.
We must act alongside our allies and partners, ensuring a front on trade as well as financial sanctions that is united in its actions and condemnations.
We will continue to stand by our Ukrainian friends.
Indeed, before the Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine Babcock had won a contract with the Ukrainian navy,
with £1.7bn of support from our export credits agency UKEF.
And we continue to provide that financial backing for businesses trading with Ukraine.
We have stopped all government-backed export finance to Russia and Belarus….
Trade Deals are just one part of what we do the Department for International Trade.
We also lead work to ensure that the UK remains the best place in the world to invest.
In October last year, we were delighted to host a caucus of global investors with a combined worth over £18 trillion at the Science Museum in London.
As a result of that sustained effort, led by my ministerial colleague Lord Grimstone, £10 billion of new investment have now been committed into projects across the UK.
We have also secured large investment for projects like British Volt in Blyth which will deliver batteries of the future – and highly skilled jobs for the North East.
Equally as important is our support for exporters.
UK Exporters support around 6.5 million jobs in the UK, yet only 1 in 10 businesses export.
We must change this.
We want the world to benefit from the entrepreneurial businesses that make the United Kingdom the country it is today.
Our 12 point plan will support businesses do that and includes measures like…
The Export Academy – providing practical advice, skills training and ideas for businesses looking at exporting…
Our Export Support Service – we are offering tailored advice to companies already export who may with to take that next step…
Our growing number of Trade Envoys who are promoting UK Business abroad and using their experience to help us grow into new markets.
They will all help us in our mission of reaching £1 trillion in exports by 2030.
As part of that work, earlier this month we launched the National Ship Building Strategy and the Maritime Capability Campaign Office, to ensure that our maritime sector is helping forge new ties for British trade across the oceans…
From the Royal Navy’s two Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, built in Rosyth – playing a vital role in keeping global sea lanes open and safe for British shipping, as well as right now working with NATO to defend our allies.
To the RSS David Attenborough, which I visited just before she set off to Antarctica – she is leading cutting edge research which will help us understand the effects of climate change – and find solutions which can minimise humanities impact on nature.
Our maritime sector is pivotal to our prosperity here at home too… bringing £17 billion into our economy and directly supporting 220,000 British jobs.
What does this all mean for you, your businesses and your communities?
Trade is at the heart of levelling up.
It creates jobs, it boosts local communities, and it means that we can pay for our priorities.
And conference, we are delivering on those priorities.
50,000 more nurses -
20,000 more police officers -
Better schools and better broadband.
I hope that in the coming weeks, while knocking on doors you will share the work that this Conservative Government is doing to deliver for this great nation both at home and abroad.
