General Notes
In recent years, the British economy has seen a significant shift away from manufacturing to service industries. However, Britain is still a significant manufacturer and exporter of capital and consumer goods, and customers, whether individual or corporate, have grown accustomed to looking at quality and price first rather than country of origin.
Because of this attitude, Britain remains one of the most open markets in the world for foreign producers who are prepared to take the time to research their target customers. Britain's membership of the European Union also makes it an attractive target market for foreign goods since, once they have been imported into the UK, the goods are deemed to be in free circulation within the 25 member states of the European Union. This constitutes a market of more than 455 million people if the three European Free Trade Area (EFTA) states are also included.
Related Links
- General Notes
- Locating Potential Importers in the UK
- Approaching a UK Importer Directly
- Checking a Company' s Background
- Arranging Terms of Payment
- Customs Duty and VAT
- The EU Generalised System of Preferences
- Exporting Agricultural Goods to the UK
- Standards and Safety Regulations
- Sourcing Goods in the UK
