Yorkshire bucks the export trend... but could do more

However, trade experts at Deloitte in Leeds said there was still room for improvement.

Senior figures from Deloitte in Yorkshire believe that more regional firms should be seeking to secure lucrative ties with fast-growing economies, such as China and India, in order to help their own business grow.

While the UK’s total exports shrank for the first quarter of 2013 when compared with the same period in 2012, Yorkshire’s exports experienced slight growth from £4.15bn to £4.21bn.

This was largely due to a growth in exports to the EU, from £2.4bn to £2.5bn for the first quarter, while non-EU exports remained stable at £1.7bn.

Business advisory firm Deloitte said the figures were encouraging evidence of Yorkshire firms’ ongoing commitment to international trade.

Analysts from Deloitte said non-EU exports were expected to start picking up again, thanks to the strength of emerging markets such as Brazil, India and China.

Richard Williams, an international tax partner at Deloitte in Yorkshire, said the figures are a timely reminder of the importance of sustained international trade to the region’s economy. He said: “Exporting to a number of markets is critical – we are seeing strong growth from emerging markets such as Brazil, India and China, but the eurozone remains a major source of income for our region and it should never be overlooked.

“Yorkshire exports are impressive despite an overall decline across the UK, with overseas sales of mineral fuels, chemicals, manufactured goods and machinery remaining high.

“However, there is always room for improvement and international trade is now nigh-on essential for significant grow- th.

“Deloitte’s analysis, in its UK Futures report, shows that big business expects future growth to come from international mar-kets.

“Two-thirds of companies expect growth from foreign markets over the next three years, with more than a third expecting growth of more than 75 per cent.”