IBW's JUSTIFICATION

Whilst a row rumbles on about the cost of reviewing travel arrangements for International Business Wales, it would seem that their team in North America - based at the Chrysler building in New York -is quietly getting on with the job of getting business into Welsh companies.

According to a report on the Business Wire, exports from Wales rose faster over the last year than any region of the UK.

Exports from Wales were up 8.4 percent for the year, powered by a 12.7 percent increase in sales to North America, Wales’ second largest trading partner.

Figures from the HM Revenue & Customs Service show that total Welsh exports were £10.258 billion for the 12 months ended June 30, up from £9.5 billion in the same period the year before. Welsh companies sold products worth £2.5 billion to North America.

During the same period the total value of exports for England fell by 1.2 per cent to £169 billion.

According to the article, Relcom Solutions - which attended the U.S. trade mission earlier this year - has developed a software package known as Merlyn that automates maintenance programs for manufacturing equipment.

"As a result of the trade mission, a major American global automation corporation is interested in our software,” said Rhisiard Jenkins, Relcom's Managing Director".

Other Welsh companies are increasing their U.S. business, including Biotec Services International Ltd., a pharmaceutical contract services company, and Biocatalyst Ltd., a manufacturer of enzymes sold primarily to food producers. Wales-based Sureview Systems International Ltd. has also sold its automated software for monitoring closed circuit television stations to circuit firms throughout the U.S. as a result of the trade mission.

I await the congratulations of our Assembly Members for this excellent performance in outperforming the rest of the UK during the worst recession since the Second World war with bated breath.