Partner Article

Import trade with China increases for SME’s

Small to medium businesses in the UK have increased import trade from China by 16 per cent year-on-year, according to a report.

The Trade Trends Report from Alibaba.com found that UK SME buyers are strengthening trade relationships with Chinese suppliers, with 68 per cent of enquiries from UK businesses being made to China in the last quarter of 2010.

The most active import markets after China were India, Hong Kong and the United States.

The report also noted an increasing demand from nearby markets for UK exports.

Domestic (UK to UK) supplier enquiries were up 5 per cent year-on-year, whilst Turkey, Egypt, Greece and Italy also showed growing interest in UK export products.

Maggie Choo, General Manager EMEA, said:“The report reflects some expected seasonal changes for product demand, with apparel enquiries declining whilst categories such as machinery and food & beverage grow.”

“The year-on-year comparisons for Q4 reveal not only an increasing reliance on Chinese suppliers, but also a desire to search for suppliers nearer to home.”

She added: “This reticence to trade outside of a ‘comfort zone’ is reflective of the unpredictable state of the UK economy and the lack of confidence British businesses have for trading internationally.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .