Currently only 3% of businesses in the South West export.  This is the lowest percentage of any region. Despite this total exports from the South West grew by an average of 5.4% per year from 1997 -2003, when national average was 1.3%.  

In the South Hams only 4% of businesses indicated that over a quarter of their sales were overseas.                                                                                                           Source: South Hams Business Survey 2004

With  improved transport links and high-speed communications have making the business community global the opportunities to trade internationally are increasing.

Reasons for trading internationally include:

• Higher profit margins  in less competitive or wealthier markets
• Risk spreading – some.markets are buoyant while others are depressed
• Saturation of the home market can be a growth inhibitor
• Product life cycles vary from one part of the world to another
• companies who trade internationally are more competitive than those who don’t

Business Link Devon and Cornwall  have a team of International Trade Advisors There are three levels at which they can assist SME’s:

          Level 1 – Advice and Support:

          Level 2 – Information & Opportunities

          Level 3 – Making It Happen

UK Trade and Investment is the Government organisation that supports companies in the UK doing business internationally and overseas enterprises seeking to set up or expand in the UK.

The South West of England Regional Development Agency has published it's South West International Trade Strategy 2004 / 2007.