Dundee business urged to explore 'Brexit opportunities' by Chamber of Commerce

Dundee businesses are being urged to tap into more overseas markets after showing “great resilience” following Brexit.

A trade event has been held in the city, offering advice to companies looking to expand.

Among those in attendance was ATL Turbine Services, a local firm which trades with companies across Europe and North America.

“Because we’re so niche, overseas trading is key to us,” said the company’s chief executive Dale Harris. “The addressable market in the UK is really not big enough for us.

“We can’t ignore a huge market in Europe that’s right on our doorstep and even into the US and Canada as well.”

Latest regional trade figures show businesses in Dundee and Angus exported £602m worth of goods overseas in 2020.

Since then, the UK has left the EU single market and overall trade with Europe has fallen.

But businesses are being urged to seek out any opportunities created by Brexit.

Alison Henderson, from Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce, said: “Businesses are obviously recovering from the pandemic, they’re trying to work out what Brexit has meant for them, and that’s still throwing up different challenges.

“But there are opportunities out there as well, I think the world has never felt more small.”

The UK Government agency fronting the sessions said Scottish businesses had “proved resilient” following Brexit and the pandemic.

“We are finding a number of markets are really open, profitable and productive for Scottish businesses,” said Rachel Gwyon from the Department for International Trade.

“They may be ones people have already thought about like America or the Middle East, or they may be much further afield.”