International Trade

MAKING IT IN LIVERPOOL AND

EXPANDING OVERSEAS

Manufacturing companies in the Liverpool City Region contribute billions of pounds to the nation’s economy annually while supporting 50,000 jobs for some 3,000 companies. It is amongst the largest manufacturing regions in the U.K. with an exceptional range of companies calling it home, including large enterprises like Jaguar Land Rover but also SMEs and start-ups. In addition, “advanced manufacturing” with its emphasis on technology is re-defining production in all sectors in the region and recruiting a young vibrant work force. For Liverpool, it is an exciting time of innovation and exceptional growth potential.

Liverpool’s manufacturing growth is supported by a proximity to major transport links via John Lennon International Airport and the Port of Liverpool operating the Royal Seaforth Container Terminal and Liverpool2, one of the world’s most modern deep-water shipping terminals. Additionally, Liverpool will, again, be home to one of eight Freeports in the U.K., providing trade opportunities for area manufacturers, creating new jobs and developments. John Lucy, Director, Liverpool City Region Freeport, finds “that the Freeports could be a game changer for Liverpool and the U.K. itself.”

Manufacturers can also expand their businesses into new markets by using an ATA Carnet, an internationally accepted customs document that allows temporary cross border movement of goods or merchandise import-duty and -tax free into 87+ carnet countries and territories for up to a year. The ATA Carnet is known as the Merchandise Passport for boomerang freight® because everything that goes out returns to the country of origin. Manufacturers exhibiting at a foreign trade show, traveling with sales samples to meet with prospective customers, or temporarily demonstrating equipment overseas avoid payment of duty and tax on those goods when using an ATA Carnet for temporary exports. The savings add up and will have a positive impact on cash flow.

Boomerang carnets® U.K., through its partner the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, can provide affordable sameday and overnight carnet delivery service in Liverpool, Bristol, London, at Heathrow, Gatwick, and the Eurotunnel. As is typical, carnets can also be shipped by overnight courier to anywhere in the U.K.

ATA Carnet usage levels the playing field so that an SME can compete with any size enterprise. Growing your business internationally is easier than you think.

CLARKE ENERGY

SUPPORTING THE JOURNEY TO NET ZERO

The journey to net-zero presents many questions about where combined heat and power (CHP) gas engines fit into the UK’s future energy networks. Achieving net-zero cannot come at the expense of fuel poverty or energy blackouts. It is therefore vital to balance the ‘Energy Trilemma’ of sustainability, affordability and security during the transition

Clarke Energy CHP plants can work alongside other renewable energy technologies and energy storage systems as part of a hybrid energy solution. A recent project example is an awardwinning hybrid energy system, delivered by Clarke Energy, to power one of the largest greenhouses in the UK. The 217,000m2 AGR Fenland greenhouse site combines a 33MWth heat pump system with a 9MWe CHP plant, which operates during peak electricity periods with thermal heat storage and CO2 recovery. The installation provides hot water heating to the glasshouse and the CO2 recovered from exhaust gases is transferred to the glasshouse to help accelerate the growth of the produce. Fenland greenhouse will grow 10% of Britain’s cucumbers, requiring 30% less CO2 than a conventionally heated greenhouse.

Clarke Energy will also deliver another innovative carbon capture and conversion system at Severn Trent Water, Derby. Recovered CO2 will be used in eco-friendly products, with a variety of uses, including building materials, paint production and fertilisers. The project could unlock a key technological innovation that could help in meeting our net-zero carbon commitment.

Gas engines can be fuelled by numerous low-carbon or renewable fuels, including pipeline gas, biogas, biomethane and are even able to operate on up to 100% hydrogen. CHP plants can be adapted to meet future changes in gas network supply, meaning investments can be made safely for new or existing projects.

CHP delivers security of supply as it can be configured as a safety net for your business operations. With minimal investment you can not only dramatically reduce your energy costs and carbon footprint, but also prevent loss of production or business, should a grid event occur. It is important not to view CHP as an obstacle on the road to netzero but rather an essential transitional technology, supporting the world’s collective carbon reduction journey.

UK-AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND FREE TRADE AGREEMENT: BENEFITS TO BE HIGHLIGHTED AT OUR

NEXT INTERNATIONAL TRADE CLUB IN SEPTEMBER

The UK signed the Australia Agreement in December and the New Zealand Agreement in February. Together, they will deliver benefits throughout the country and support the levelling-up agenda.

The UK-Australia Agreement is expected to increase trade by 53%, boost the economy by £2.3 billion and increase wages in the long-run. The UK-New Zealand Agreement is expected to increase trade by almost 60% and boost the economy by £800 million.

International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said:

This Bill will enable us to export our world-class goods and services and bring high-quality imports at reduced rates for British customers.

Both the UK-Australia and UK-New Zealand free trade agreements include commitments to addressing climate change like decarbonisation and increasing innovation in green sectors. For the first time, UK service suppliers including architects, scientists, researchers, lawyers and accountants will have access to visas to work in Australia without being subject to Australia’s changing skilled occupation list. Britons aged 18 to 35 will also be able to travel and work in Australia with a Working Holiday Maker Visa for up to three years.

The agreements include protections for the agriculture industry and food and drink quality standards, with all imports needing to comply with the UK’s food regulations.

We will have a guest speaker from DIT at our next Trade Club to provide an update on this particular trade agreement and what it means for business.

LIVERPOOL BUSINESS –

KAYS MEDICAL EXPLAIN THE IMPACT OF BREXIT ON THE UK MEDICAL INDUSTRY

Kays Medical are one of the UK’s largest and most trusted suppliers of first aid, medical supplies, Ofqual regulated training and SEQOHS accredited occupational health provision. With nearly 50 years’ experience protecting employee’s health and wellbeing, and soon opening a new full-service 3rd party logistics warehouse and fulfilment centre in September 2022. With Brexit and EU regulations having affected trading conditions for many UK businesses, it has created uncertainty in the regulatory landscape around the medical device industry. In particular, the expected move from the Medical Device Directive (MDD) to the more detailed Medical Device Regulation (MDR) has experienced a change in regulations and increase in documentation requirements.

Due to Brexit, the UK has pulled out of the original EU MDR and are still awaiting confirmation for what the full UK standard will require. Additionally, if a UK business wishes to manufacture and sell products into the EU, labelling and documentation must be compliant for sale with both the CE mark for sales into the EU and UKCA mark for UK sales, along with EC REP and EU Importers in place.

Kays Medical have ISO 13485 certification to produce and distribute medical devices, and our products are MHRA registered. Steps have been taken to ensure compliance with the above standards and that all new regulations continue to be met. In terms of distribution/transport, Brexit has increased shipping container costs. Pre-Brexit, approximate landed shipping costs for a 40-foot container were around £2,000 but post-Brexit costs reached up to a staggering £15,000 to £18,000. Many UK competitors have therefore exited the market, leaving Kays Medical in a strong position to capitalise on international trade opportunities.

Despite these additional regulatory burdens, Kays Medical have been able to remain competitive by investing in additional resource, and diversifying the range of products and services we offer.

Kays Medical are in the final stages of building a new 35,000 sq. ft. warehouse and fulfilment centre which will offer 3PL services to expand in-house capacity and continue to deliver a high-quality service to our customers.

For more information contact Kays Medical directly on 0151 482 2850 or email

marketing@kaysmedical.com

LIVERPOOL STARTUP DEVELOPS NEW TECHNOLOGIES

TO SUPPORT THE CITY’S MARITIME SECTOR

The team at Liverpool technology startup Hexsor Scientific Limited has been hard at work over the past 18 months developing a new state-of-the-art mobile mass spectrometry to support the city’s maritime and waterfront industries.

“We have managed to shrink what is typically a very large, very complex, very expensive piece of laboratory equipment, into an instrument the size of a suitcase”, noted Hexsor’s CEO & Co-Founder, Dr Jeyan Sreekumar. “There are very obvious benefits in being able to, in effect, take a laboratory-standard piece of equipment into the field, and use it to understand instantly, and in an extremely detailed way, what chemical substances are in your water. This translates into improved safety, greater cost-savings, and more efficient operations for the city’s maritime industries, as well as better management of Liverpool’s marine ecosystems”

As for many companies in the Liverpool City Region, the last two years have posed challenges for Hexsor. “Since the company was founded in 2018, we have been really keen to grow our business, and our reputation, within the city. Although the pandemic has limited opportunities to do so, we are now very excited to begin to realise some of those aims”. “We are incredibly proud of our connection to the Liverpool City Region”, said Hexsor’s Business Development Manager, Dr David Smith. “We are based in Liverpool Science Park, and we have developed some great relationships and firm friendships within the University of Liverpool — of which some of the team are alumnus — and the LCR’s wider knowledge and innovation ecosystems. We consider these relationships to be a great strength, and make a virtue of them when talking with our clients overseas. The team has family here, and we really want to be able to give something back to the region.”

Hexsor’s new technology arrives at a key time in the city region’s maritime development. With the redesignation of The Port of Liverpool as a freeport, the city’s waterside is set to see an increase in international maritime traffic and substantial investment in new waterside infrastructure. At the same time, the new nationally-significant Maritime Knowledge Hub under development at the Wirral Waters site will provide Liverpool with a world-leading facility for marine and maritime research and development.

“Our mobile mass spectrometry systems are, really, revolutionary, and represent exactly the sort of technological solution that the city’s innovation ecosystem has been designed to achieve. Alongside our other optical spectroscopic technologies, they really represent a comprehensive solution for water analysis that we are excited to deploy across the LCR. After years of hard work by the founders, to finally have that chance to engage with the city’s maritime stakeholders, at a time when Liverpool is poised to position itself at the heart of the global maritime sector, is a dream comes true for us”.

ERDF “NEW MARKETS 2” FUNDING

STILL HELPING COMPANIES IN THE LIVERPOOL CITY REGION UNTIL SUMMER 2023

Thinking of attending a trade show or trade fair? We can support eligible companies with 35% of their cost. Contact

Ian.Bulmer@Liverpoolchamber.

org.uk to check eligibility.

Case study:

Tom Reynolds, MD at Eden 51 has just commented on how New Markets 2 helped him to be part of Bett Global in March 2022 and to plan attendance to BETT events in August in Athens and in Bangkok in October.

Bett is the global community for education technology. Education stakeholders worldwide gather to address their challenges and priorities. The match funded grant helped to cover the costs of translations, marketing material to attend the show and accommodation.

By attending BETT Tom has been able to create connections and accelerate trade, driving impact and improving outcomes for his company.

TRAINING COURSES IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE

At Liverpool Chamber, we organise bespoke courses or consultancy sessions to address your international trade concerns at short notice. We understand every company has different training needs, so we work with partners to help you to answer basic queries on complex issues.

We also have our Trade Help desk, designed to provide support and assistance to companies requiring extra reassurance when dealing with international trade procedures. We can assist you with enquiries that can be dealt with in under 10 minutes, such as Shipping requirements, CPC code enquiries, Incoterms and guidance on correct commodity codes.

More help and support

If you have questions on importing, exporting or customs reliefs call the Customs and International Trade helpline on 0300 322 9434. The helpline is open from 8am to 10pm Monday to Friday and from 8am to 4pm on weekends.

Email export@liverpoolchamber.org.uk for further information