Food and drink exporters expressed grave fears about the threat posed by Brexit to their business, with almost 60% seeing the UK’s exit from the European Union as a ‘major problem’.
As the very public spat between Tesco and Unilever highlighted, suppliers are being squeezed by rising costs caused by the weak pound. But does the falling value of sterling versus the dollar and euro present those looking to build international trade with an opportunity?
The Grocer surveyed 50 exporters about their hopes and fears following the Brexit vote.
More than 70% of businesses we asked expected exports to rise in the next five years (43% by a substantial amount. However, 57% of respondents view the UK’s exit from the EU as a ‘major problem’, with just 8.7% spying a ‘huge opportunity’.
More than a quarter detected an anti-UK sentiment in dealing with EU trading partners, with 17% reporting a drop in European demand for UK products.
And, worryingly for Defra secretary Andrea Leadsom, who recently revealed an action plan to boost overseas trade by £2.9bn by 2020, 58% said the government’s current approach either ‘terrified’ them or left them feeling ‘a bit gloomy’.
Click here to read the in-depth analysis examining the hopes and fears of UK exporters in the wake of Brexit from this week’s new issue of The Grocer, out Saturday 29 October.
Here are the highlights from our survey. See related files at the bottom for the full Excel spreadsheet
Do you expect your exports to increase or decrease in the next five years? | |||
---|---|---|---|
Answer Options | Response Percent | Response Count | |
Increase substantially | 42.6% | 20 | |
Increase a bit | 29.8% | 14 | |
Stand still | 8.5% | 4 | |
Decrease a bit | 6.4% | 3 | |
Decrease substantially | 12.8% | 6 | |
Don’t know | 0.0% | 0 | |
answered question | 47 | ||
skipped question | 3 |
Which parts of the world are you focused on developing exports to? | |||
---|---|---|---|
Answer Options | Response Percent | Response Count | |
EU | 70.2% | 33 | |
Rest of Europe | 44.7% | 21 | |
Russia | 14.9% | 7 | |
US | 57.4% | 27 | |
Canada | 51.1% | 24 | |
Central/Latin America | 12.8% | 6 | |
China | 46.8% | 22 | |
India | 23.4% | 11 | |
Middle East | 66.0% | 31 | |
Africa | 21.3% | 10 | |
Australasia | 48.9% | 23 | |
answered question | 47 | ||
skipped question | 3 |
Which parts of the world do you anticipate a fall in exports to? | |||
---|---|---|---|
Answer Options | Response Percent | Response Count | |
EU | 55.3% | 26 | |
Rest of Europe | 19.1% | 9 | |
Russia | 21.3% | 10 | |
US | 8.5% | 4 | |
Canada | 6.4% | 3 | |
Central/Latin America | 4.3% | 2 | |
China | 2.1% | 1 | |
India | 4.3% | 2 | |
Middle East | 6.4% | 3 | |
Africa | 4.3% | 2 | |
Australasia | 8.5% | 4 | |
answered question | 47 | ||
skipped question | 3 |
How big an opportunity is Brexit to your business? | |||
---|---|---|---|
Answer Options | Response Percent | Response Count | |
Huge opportunity | 8.7% | 4 | |
Decent chance | 13.0% | 6 | |
No difference | 8.7% | 4 | |
Minor inconvenience | 13.0% | 6 | |
Major problem | 56.5% | 26 | |
answered question | 46 | ||
skipped question | 4 |
Has there been a drop in demand for UK products in Europe? | |||
---|---|---|---|
Answer Options | Response Percent | Response Count | |
Yes | 17.4% | 8 | |
No | 56.5% | 26 | |
Don’t know | 26.1% | 12 | |
answered question | 46 | ||
skipped question | 4 |
Have you detected an anti-UK sentiment in your dealings with European trading partners/customers? | |||
---|---|---|---|
Answer Options | Response Percent | Response Count | |
Yes | 26.1% | 12 | |
No | 60.9% | 28 | |
Don’t know | 13.0% | 6 | |
answered question | 46 | ||
skipped question | 4 |
How helpful has the government been in the past in supporting your export efforts? | |||
---|---|---|---|
Answer Options | Response Percent | Response Count | |
Very helpful | 10.0% | 4 | |
Quite helpful | 57.5% | 23 | |
Not helpful | 5.0% | 2 | |
A bit of a hindrance actually | 5.0% | 2 | |
All our success has been achieved despite the government | 22.5% | 9 | |
answered question | 40 | ||
skipped question | 10 |
How confident are you in the approach the government is taking right now? | |||
---|---|---|---|
Answer Options | Response Percent | Response Count | |
Very confident | 2.5% | 1 | |
Quietly optimistic | 7.5% | 3 | |
Not sure | 32.5% | 13 | |
A bit gloomy | 32.5% | 13 | |
Terrified | 25.0% | 10 | |
answered question | 40 | ||
skipped question | 10 |
Which of the following is your experience in dealing with the government in terms of exports? | |||
---|---|---|---|
Answer Options | Response Percent | Response Count | |
It is difficult to get hold of the right person | 27.5% | 11 | |
I don’t know who the right person is | 30.0% | 12 | |
There are not enough staff to help | 25.0% | 10 | |
The staff are not sufficiently qualified to be able to help | 32.5% | 13 | |
The staff lack any commercial appreciation of how complicated they make life for a business | 45.0% | 18 | |
There is a persistent failure to communicate or respond | 10.0% | 4 | |
There is a general lack of accountability | 32.5% | 13 | |
Inability to formally complain / appeal for common sense | 15.0% | 6 | |
answered question | 40 | ||
skipped question | 10 |
Downloads
The Grocer export survey
Excel, Size 67.04 kb
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