Trade Partners UK and Invest UK provide assistance to UK and Australasian exporters and investors.

Trade Partners UK is the government trade support service for British companies doing business in world markets. It brings together the commercial sections of diplomatic posts overseas, staff in regional and local networks throughout the UK, and staff with market and sector focus from its headquarters in London.
As a part of British Trade International, it works alongside Invest UK, which focuses particularly on the needs of potential investors in the UK, thereby bringing government services for international trade and investment together as part of the process of adapting to changing markets.

Helping UK exporters
The principal role of Trade Partners UK is to seek out and help UK exporters who wish to develop new opportunities in world markets. Its vast international service network enables it to provide sales leads, market information, consultancy services and contacts. It has teams of advisers – in the UK and overseas – on issues in all major world markets and the major business sectors. To find out more about opportunities in Australasia check out our website on www.tradepartners.gov.uk, or give me a call on +44 20 7215 4749.

Helping Australasian importers
Trade Partners UK’s offices across Australasia can help Australasian importers by providing information about products or services in Britain. Diplomatic staff in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Auckland are supported by teams of local commercial specialists. These trade promotion managers are recruited for their experience of the Australasian market. Many have detailed knowledge of specific products and market sectors. They are available, free of charge or obligation, to discuss developing UK business. Contact details for Australia can be found on the website at www.uk.emb.gov.au, and for New Zealand at www.brittrade.org.nz.

Helping Australasian investors
Invest UK is Britain’s inward investment agency, providing a business advisory service to Australasian companies entering the UK, or expanding existing enterprises. The agency can provide information on any aspect of Britain and its regions, including labour availability, wages rates, infrastructure, financing and incentives, and can arrange visits to sites and properties. Their contact details can be found on their website www.invest.uk.com. Australasian investors should contact the British Consulates-General in Sydney or Auckland, dependent on where their company is based.

Opportunities in Australasia
In terms of sector focus, there are opportunities for UK companies across many fields in Australasia, but Trade Partners UK has identified a number of sectors where we see strong potential for UK companies to develop their businesses. In Australia, these include agriculture, creative and media, food and drink, ICT, marine, mining, oil and gas, railways, and recreation and leisure. Up and coming sectors include biotechnology, security, and precision engineering. In New Zealand priority sectors include agriculture and marine, with additional possibilities in the food/ drink and creative/media sectors.

We have developed a programme of activity that facilitates interaction between UK and Australasian companies in these and other sectors. Activities include outward missions to the regions, inward missions to the UK, exhibitions at trade fairs, and seminars in both the UK and overseas. This year, for example, there will be 18 missions to Australasia, the most we have ever had to the region. Again, our calendar of activities is set out in our website.

Websites:

Invest UK
www.invest.uk.com

Trade Partners UK
www.tradepartners.gov.uk