Global Growth for All: Unlocking Trade for UK SMEs
The UK Government has put growth at the heart of its agenda. Increasing international trade is a powerful way to achieve that goal. If exports increased by just 1%, it would add over £8.7 billion to the economy.
Many larger businesses already have well-established networks, supply chains and teams around the world that enable them to trade internationally with relative ease.
But for Britain’s SMEs – who make up 99% of our business population – the options are more restrictive. Research has found that a fifth (20%) say they’re held back by the red tape and paperwork that exporting creates, and a similar number (19%) cited regulatory barriers as negative influences to their opportunities.
In a world where cross-border commerce is increasingly seamless for consumers, it shouldn’t be labyrinthine for businesses.
Everybody wins when SMEs trade
Trade should be an open door, not a locked gate, and the businesses that are the engine room of the UK need to be afforded all the opportunities they deserve. Policy, infrastructure and tech must be the enablers of growth, so that it’s just as easy to sell to someone in APAC or Europe as it is in the UK.
It should matter to all of us. Research from the Social Market Foundation found that, by increasing the number of SMEs that export goods by 70,000, £9.3 billion a year could be added to the national income and create 152,000 additional jobs. Helping them succeed means we all win.
Opening the doors to opportunity
To remove friction and unlock growth, three key changes need to align:
Simplified export regulation: Streamline regulatory processes for SMEs. Removing paperwork and unnecessary admin will make a huge difference to these small businesses
A digital-first trade framework: Align public infrastructure with SME needs. There should be interoperable systems, clear guidance and up-to-date, digital tools that reflect how modern businesses operate.
Strategic investment in public-private partnerships: Unlock investment into initiatives like trade resource hubs, digitalisation grants, and peer-to-peer learning networks that widen access to international markets.
Recognising the criticality of breaking down trade barriers the E-Commerce Trade Commission was established in 2023 – and which Shopify is a board member of, with the goal of identifying both the obstacles and catalysts that would enable more SMEs to trade internationally.
Through its Small Business, Big Ambition report launched last month, the Commission highlighted four key areas where policy change could open trade options for growing businesses:
A complete revision of existing export support services for ecommerce SMEs.
A reduction in trade costs (beyond those that ecommerce can already help alleviate) for SMEs that are using or considering using ecommerce channels to reach overseas customers.
Steps to reduce some risks associated with ecommerce.
Enhancing key aspects of the infrastructure that support all goods exporting SMEs, including those selling through ecommerce channels.
Simply put, to help the government deliver on its growth ambitions, Britain’s SME’s need support structures in place that take the headache out of trade. The new Trade Strategy should certainly help to remove some of those barriers and open up new markets, but SMEs need support wherever they can.
Harnessing tech-enabled trade
Alongside policy changes, technology is levelling the playing field for expanding SMEs, and enables them to operate on the world stage as if they were an established multinational enterprise. AI is already making a difference, from helping them create copy for storefronts to creating product imagery. It can also take the pain out of market expansion, such as translation and local market pricing.
Opening the doors to international trade isn’t going to happen overnight, and there’s no single answer. It will take coordinated action from government, industry and commerce service providers to remove the systemic barriers that limit entrepreneurial growth.
At Shopify, we see every SME as a potential global success story. And, while tech is already playing a role to make it easier to expand, policy changes need to be made that simplifies trade and makes the global playing field more equitable. That means cutting through red tape, aligning digital standards, and delivering export support tailored to small businesses.
With the right policy changes, we can unlock the full potential of UK SMEs, creating jobs, growing the economy and empowering others to take the leap into their entrepreneurial dreams.
techUK International Policy and Trade Programme activities
techUK supports members with their international trade plans and aspirations. We help members to understand market opportunities, tackle market access barriers, and build partnerships in their target market. Visit the programme page here.
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Sabina Ciofu is Associate Director – International, running the International Policy and Trade Programme at techUK.
Based in Brussels, she leads our EU policy and engagement. She is also our lead on international trade policy, with a focus on digital trade chapter in FTAs, regulatory cooperation as well as broader engagement with the G7, G20, WTO and OECD.
As a transatlanticist at heart, Sabina is a GMF Marshall Memorial fellow and issue-lead on the EU-US Trade and Technology Council, within DigitalEurope.
Previously, she worked as Policy Advisor to a Member of the European Parliament for almost a decade, where she specialised in tech regulation, international trade and EU-US relations.
Sabina loves building communities and bringing people together. She is the founder of the Gentlewomen’s Club and co-organiser of the Young Professionals in Digital Policy. Previously, as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community, she led several youth civic engagement and gender equality projects.
She sits on the Advisory Board of the University College London European Institute, Café Transatlantique, a network of women in transatlantic technology policy and The Nine, Brussels’ first members-only club designed for women.
Sabina holds an MA in War Studies from King’s College London and a BA in Classics from the University of Cambridge.
Policy Manager for International Policy and Trade, techUK
Daniel Clarke
Policy Manager for International Policy and Trade, techUK
Dan joined techUK as a Policy Manager for International Policy and Trade in March 2023.
Before techUK, Dan worked for data and consulting company GlobalData as an analyst of tech and geopolitics. He has also worked in public affairs, political polling, and has written freelance for the New Statesman and Investment Monitor.
Dan has a degree in MSc International Public Policy from University College London, and a BA Geography degree from the University of Sussex.
Outside of work, Dan is a big fan of football, cooking, going to see live music, and reading about international affairs.
Theo joined techUK in 2024 as EU Policy Manager. Based in Brussels, he works on our EU policy and engagement.
Theo is an experienced policy adviser who has helped connect EU and non-EU decision makers.
Prior to techUK, Theo worked at the EU delegation to Australia, the Israeli trade mission to the EU, and the City of London Corporation’s Brussels office. In his role, Theo ensures that techUK members are well-informed about EU policy, its origins, and its implications, while also facilitating valuable input to Brussels-based decision-makers.
Theo holds and LLM in International and European law, and an MA in European Studies, both from the University of Amsterdam.
Lewis' programmes cover a range of policy areas within Market Access (international trade regulation, sanctions and export controls, technical standards and product compliance, supply chains) and Consumer Tech (media and broadcast policy, consumer electronics, and connected home technology).
Prior to joining techUK, Lewis worked in government affairs and policy roles for international trade associations in Southeast Asia including the American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce and the European Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia.
He holds an undergraduate degree in Social and Political Sciences from the University of Cambridge and an MSc in Public Policy & Management from SOAS University of London.
Tess joined techUK as an Policy and Public Affairs Team Assistant in November of 2024. In this role, she supports areas such as administration, member communications and media content.
Before joining the Team, she gained experience working as an Intern in both campaign support for MPs and Councilors during the 2024 Local and General Election, and working for the Casimir Pulaski Foundation on defence and international secuirty. She has worked for multiple charities, on issues such as the climate crisis, educational inequality and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). In 2023, Tess obtained her Bachelors of Arts in Politics and International Relations from the University of Nottingham.
Deann oversees the EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa) commercial operation for Shopify, the leading global commerce company that provides essential internet infrastructure for millions of modern, high-growth brands including Gymshark, Huel, Lounge Underwear and Ooni. She leads Shopify's strategy to help EMEA merchants sell on every surface and drive retail innovation hand in hand with Europe's most exciting businesses. In her role, she is responsible for regional growth by supporting and developing merchants and entrepreneurs, growing the partner ecosystem, and leading the team culture within Shopify's EMEA markets. An experienced technology executive, Deann's career spans over two decades in a range of leadership and C-level roles for ecommerce and SaaS businesses, such as eBay, Mettr and Sizmek
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