The importance of going global

We are the Sheffield International Trade Centre…

For over 150 years the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce has supported, connected, and represented businesses of all sizes in Sheffield, our vibrant and innovative city.

As a region, we need to increase our global aspirations. There is no reason we cannot do that. Every time we earn £1 from a foreign country, which is investment into South Yorkshire and new money coming into the region from outside the UK. Exports are crucial!

The benefits of establishing a global customer base are palpable; Not only does it open the door to new revenue potential and foreign investment opportunities, but a global customer base also provides greater access to talent and diversifies the markets you can operate in.

Sheffield and South Yorkshire are fortunate when it comes to #goingglobal. We are a very international region. With two internationally focused universities, three fantastic Chambers of Commerce supporting manufacturing, digital and service businesses all with a high level of international trade exposure and an advanced manufacturing and research facility. This area is not short of talent, and we all play a part.

The Sheffield International Trade Centre (SITC) is equipped to aid in all aspects of importing and exporting. For example, we recently helped a company recover money from a wayward distributer in China, assisted various companies with the complicated VAT and duty rulings, helped another with developing their trade with Vietnam, aided others that had fallen foul of EU customs and helped others to save thousands by applying for customs authorisations and procedures of which they were unaware. In this, we are proud of our customer reviews and have helped many companies to develop their trade credentials.

Plus, we are the only Chamber of Commerce in the world accredited with Authorised Economic Operator status, meaning that we have achieved the highest level of customs compliance.

We are here to support our Chamber members. We love to get to know businesses, often having long, honest conversations with trade teams. It’s striking how many don’t know about their responsibilities as an exporter and/or importer of record or even how much money they could save if they understood all the procedures available to them.

That’s where we come in. When asked what advice I would give to a business which is considering exporting overseas, top of my list would be to join your local Chamber.

The Chamber network has a deep, wide, and very professional resource, with the ability to answer complicated technical questions. The network has incredible lobbying power and our global business network extends the reach to over 75 global markets.

We are the Sheffield International Trade centre team, and you can get in touch with us here: www.scci.org.uk/contact