‘Trading Internationally 2020 – A post COVID-19 perspective’ report

Our ‘Trading Internationally 2020 – A post COVID-19 perspective’ report is available here.

At the end of 2019, Kreston surveyed 1,109 business leaders of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across the UK to explore the views of businesses towards international trade as the country looked to exit the EU.

The research was produced in a report called Trading Internationally 2020: A UK business perspective just before the UK and the rest of the world went into lockdown following the outbreak of COVID-19.

In late May 2020, Kreston conducted a follow-up survey of 514 UK business leaders to explore how COVID-19 might change their plans for international trade.

The views of businesses have never been more important as we begin to emerge from what has been the biggest shock to the global economy and as we approach December’s deadline to secure a trade deal with the EU.

In this report, we revisit our original research looking at international trade before the COVID-19 pandemic, the anticipated impact on export and import markets, and the barriers to international trade and how they can be overcome. And as we look to build a new trading relationship with the EU, we look to where UK business leaders’ priorities and aspirations will lie.

Kreston is a global network of 200 accountancy firms across 110 countries employing more than 23,000 people. This survey was commissioned by five UK Kreston member firms: Kreston Reeves, BHP, Bishop Fleming, Duncan & Toplis and James Cowper Kreston.