- 12 Exporters of Christmas: To celebrate the broad range and high quality of SME exporters across the country who support jobs and boost their local economies by trading with the world, we launched our ’12 Exporters of Christmas 2018’ campaign for the second year running. All of the SMEs featured in the campaign use Heathrow to transport their goods quickly and reliably to Christmas trees around the world and we are delighted to share their stories with you. Just click on the image below to read more about English Tea exported from Cornwall to Taiwan or wooden bowties made from whiskey barrels in Scotland making their way to customers in Australia. Feel free to retweet the cargo success story @yourheathrow here.
- Heathrow’s Trade Tracker: This month we have also launched the third edition of Heathrow’s Export Climate Index, compiled by Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), which tracks the value and destination of international trade moving through the UK’s hub airport every quarter. 2018 has seen continual growth in export value at Heathrow – with over 35% of the UK’s non-EU exports travelling through the airport. In particular, exports to US and China alone equalled £5.84 billion in Q3. This is more than triple the value going to the EU, demonstrating how the airport is in a key position to facilitate the vital UK trading relationships of the future; especially along with expansion, which will double Heathrow’s cargo capacity.
- Doubling Chinese routes: 2018 has seen Heathrow double our direct connections to China, adding six new routes to key trading destinations previously not served by any direct UK connection; Wuhan, Chongqing, Sanya, Changsa, Xi’ian and Shenzhen. The benefit of these new connections is already evident from the surge in export value from Heathrow to China; increasing by over 200% in Q2 and Q3 this year compared to 2017. This growth highlights the demand for air freight to new markets and underlining our position as a cornerstone of the UK economy as we facilitate global trade.
- World of Opportunity (WOO) Export Grants Programme: For the second year running, Heathrow has awarded 20 UK SMEs with £2,000 each to support with international trade missions to forge new exporting links with customers around the globe, in partnership with the Department for International Trade’s Exporting is GREAT campaign. During the Autumn all 20 SMEs were awarded their grant cheques with some businesses already completing their trade missions and sharing their success stories with us. Just like Direct Access Consultancy from Nantwich who were able to open their first office in the UAE this year, after their WOO trade mission led to them winning a prestigious contract in the country.
Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you would like any further detail on any of the points - or businesses - covered in this email, or about Heathrow’s cargo capabilities with expansion.
Best wishes and Merry Christmas,
Lisa Childs
Senior External Affairs Manager
Heathrow Airport
The Compass Centre, Nelson Road
Hounslow, Middlesex, TW6 2GW
m: +44 (0)7742 500 450
w: heathrow.com t: twitter.com/heathrowairport
a: heathrow.com/apps