British SMEs Locked Out of Trade Deal Benefits as Red Tape Bites

British SMEs locked out of trade deal benefits as red tape bites

Britain’s small businesses are failing to reap the rewards of the government’s post-Brexit trade deals, as red tape, tariffs, and weak confidence leave exports flatlining and financial distress mounting across SMEs, according to a new report. New figures from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) show that 84 per cent of firms with fewer than 10 employees reported flat or falling export orders in the third quarter of 2025, despite a series of n…

Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce Calls for Greater Support to Help Small Firms Unlock Global Trade Opportunities

New data from the British Chambers of Commerce reveals widening export gap between large and small UK firms – Cambridgeshire Chamber urges action and offers support for SMEs. Export Divide Widening Between Small and Large Firms New research from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Insights Unit highlights a growing divide in the UK’s export performance – and the urgent need for greater support to help smaller firms unlock global opportunities…

Small Businesses Need More Help to Unlock Trade Opportunities

New data from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Insights Unit, published at the start of International Trade Week, shows a widening divide between the fortunes of different sized UK exporters.  It highlights the need for urgent action to help small businesses unlock trade deal benefits.  The research shows sentiment among all exporters remains weak, with most struggling to see improved sales or orders. Only 24% reported increased overseas s…

UK SMEs struggle to cash in on trade deals

The UK government’s new trade deals do not particularly benefit small businesses in Britain, a new survey by the British Chambers of Commerce has found.  The BCC’s Insights Unit surveyed 4,638 firms, most of them small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and found that 84% of companies with 10 or fewer employees either receive too few export orders to make a difference or rarely engage in international trade. Bigger companies, which have more r…

Small Firms Need More Help to Unlock Trade   - British Chambers of Commerce

New data, from the BCC Insights Unit, highlights the need for urgent action to help small businesses unlock trade deal benefits Less than a fifth (16%) of micro-exporters saw increased overseas orders in Q3 – 27% saw a decrease, 57% no change In comparison, 42% of larger exporters reported more overseas orders – 11% saw a decrease, 47% no change Only 22% of all responding businesses saw increased export orders in Q3 – 25% saw a fall, 25% no c…