Under 27 per cent of Birmingham businesses export their goods and services, figures released today (March 17, 2011) reveal.

And the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce survey shows that many businesses do not export because of their lack of knowledge about overseas trade and the range of support available to them.

A total of 67.5 per cent of the businesses surveyed said they did not export because their products or services were not suitable.

However,Chamber president Christine Braddock said: "This leaves a large amount of potential for Birmingham businesses if certain obstacles can be overcome.

"They are very well placed and already compete on a global scale.  However we are losing out on additional business due to a general lack of knowledge about international trade and how to access international trade support."

The survey showed that only 26.9 per cent of Birmingham Businesses export their goods and services abroad.  Of those who have never exported abroad, 10 per cent said they had limited knowledge of the commercial aspects of exporting, 10.7 per cent blamed a difficulty in finding customers and 20.3 per cent cite sufficient UK business.

Of the Birmingham-based businesses who do export, 85 per cent of them trade with EU member states.  

However, 53.3 per cent export to Africa and 41.1 per cent export to the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries.  Equipment and machinery make up Birmingham's largest type of exports accounting for 29.4 per cent while consumer goods and business/customer services account for 23.5 per cent of our exports each.

A total of 33.7 per cent of Birmingham's exporters have had some trouble obtaining trade finance and/or export credit insurance. Over a third of this group stated that this led to a reduction in the level and volume of exports, and just under a third stated that this left them unable to exploit new opportunities.  

Birmingham Chamber will be looking to next week's budget for this to be addressed. 

Just over half (50.1 per cent) of exporters who have lost business due to difficulty in obtaining trade finance and export credit insurance cite business going to American, Chinese and South Korean companies that would have otherwise gone to a Birmingham business.

Jonathan Webber, head of international trade at the Chamber, said: "UK Trade and Investment's international trade support and advice is available through Birmingham Chamber's International Trade Team. The team has access to a vast range of government and non-government services designed to assist Birmingham and Solihull business succeed abroad."