WALES HAS WORST EXPORT PERFORMANCE

According to the latest data from the UK Government, the total value of UK exports for the 12 months ending March 2010 was £231 billion - a decrease of £13 billion (5.3 per cent) compared to the 12 months ending March 2009.

During the same period the total value of exports for England fell by 4.8 per cent to £168.5 billion.

The largest percentage change in the English regions for this period was for the Yorkshire and Humber region that decreased by 10.9 per cent to £12 billion. Scottish exports rose by 3.5 per cent to £14.8 billion, and exports from Northern Ireland fell by 17.4 per cent to £5 billion.

Exports from Wales fell by 16.8 per cent to £8.8 billion, the worst performance by far of any UK region.

I have written previously on Wales’ dismal exporting performance, a situation that WAG is simply not taking seriously.

Instead, the Minister and his policy team seem to believe that international business is simply about about bringing foreign companies into Wales rather than building up the internationalisation activities of those indigenous businesses already here.

Wales, with only 1264 exporting firms in 2010, accounts for only 2.7 per cent of the total number of exporters in the UK.

I would expect, at the very least, for any new economic renewal programme to focus on doubling that figure over the next decade, and ensuring that we at least punch at our weight in terms of export performance.

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