Responding to the latest ONS Trade figures published this morning, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “The first quarter of 2024 shows the challenges UK goods exporters face, with a further drop in sales to both EU and non-EU markets, despite a...
Read moreReacting to the latest GDP figures, David Bharier, Head of Research at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “The Q1 GDP first estimate of 0.6%, outstripping expectations, is a welcome sign that the UK has moved away from last year’s shallow recession. Businesses across the UK have been the...
Read moreReacting to the Bank of England’s latest interest rate decision, David Bharier, Head of Research at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “The decision to hold the interest rate at 5.25% was widely expected. Businesses will be hopeful that tentative signals from the Bank translate into a rate cut...
Read moreSupply chain security, trade deals, tariffs and planning permission were the big issues during the BCC’s 5-day mission to the US to promote business and investment. Director General, Shevaun Haviland’s, trip was organised ahead of the US elections as issues around trade agreements, tariffs, supply-chain disruption, subsidies, protectionism and geo-political...
Read moreThe Trade Confidence Outlook, conducted by the BCC’s Insights Unit, is a survey of more than 2,000 UK SME exporters. It shows the percentage of SME exporters reporting increased exports has been static since the pandemic, and has weakened slightly since the end of 2023. SMEs are less likely...
Read moreImproving skills and tackling labour shortages were the key topics discussed by Chamber Chief Executives, at a meeting with Education Secretary Rt Hon Gillian Keegan MP. Chambers of Commerce are leading the development of Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) across much of England. The Government designated Chambers to lead...
Read moreThe latest Quarterly Recruitment Outlook (QRO), a survey of more than 4,600 UK firms of all sectors and sizes, by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Insights Unit, reveals hiring problems have eased. The first quarter results for 2024 show that 62% of respondents said they had attempted to...
Read moreReacting to the latest inflation figures published this morning, David Bharier, Head of Research at the British Chambers of Commerce said: “Figures confirm inflation is continuing to slowly head in the right direction. That’s good news for both consumers and businesses. “However, a lot of uncertainty remains among the...
Read moreResponding to the latest labour market data from the ONS, Jane Gratton, Deputy Director Public Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce said: “With the number of vacancies continuing to fall, and unemployment ticking up, there are further signs that the labour market is cooling. “But we are...
Read moreEssex Chambers of Commerce were delighted to facilitate a visit from Shadow Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband, to the Port of Tilbury on Thursday 11th April. Our CEO, Denise Rossiter, welcomed the Shadow Secretary to the Port, owned by Forth Ports, and accompanied him on a tour. “Thurrock jobs and...
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