CHAMBER NEWS
Enterprising Women #ChooseToChallenge
East Midlands freeport will deliver investment and jobs
GB Paralympian Samantha Kinghorn (pictured) joined Leicester-based divorce lawyer at a special Enterprising Women event to celebrate International Women’s Day. With a nod to this year’s IWD
theme of #ChooseToChallenge, they each shared their inspirational stories, which included breaking glass ceilings, challenging themselves mentally and physically, and the importance of self-belief. It was the latest in a series of
well-attended webinars hosted by the Enterprising Women network since the beginning of this year, with about 80 people tuning into the event. Chamber president Eileen
Richards MBE, who co-chairs the group, said: “I am delighted that International Women’s Day is being celebrated by men and women like never before by honouring the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. “As a network, we encourage
our female peers to continue the #ChooseToChallenge.” Nominations have now closed
for the Enterprising Women Awards and finalists will be announced on 20 May, with the awards ceremony to be held in October. Co-chair Jean Mountain
added: “We are absolutely delighted with the response and calibre of applicants and are looking forward to celebrating the fantastic achievements within our network this October.” The next Enterprising Women
webinar will be held on 22 April, with guest speaker Derby North MP Amanda Solloway joining to discuss mental wellbeing.
To register, visit www.emc-
dnl.co.uk/connecting- you/enterprising-women.
30 business network April 2021
A freeport could be a “game-changer” for the East Midlands – bringing jobs, growth and investment, says the Chamber. The Chancellor confirmed East Midlands Airport was
one of eight locations in England to receive freeport status, which provide companies inside the sites with tariff-free trade and temporary tax breaks, in the budget. The news was welcomed by the Chamber, which had campaigned for this since 2018 when it published the Delivering a Great Future manifesto at Westminster and presented ‘The Big Opportunity’ for the region, featuring a free trade zone linked to the airport.
‘Freeport status means we can cement our role at the centre of Britain's post-Brexit global trading relationship’
Chief executive Scott Knowles (pictured) said: “Since our manifesto was published, we believe both the need and the scale of the opportunity for our vision has only grown, and it was great to see a fantastic collaborative effort from our region during the bid process – including 15 of our MPs coming together to offer their support. "Our region already has fantastic national and
international trading links – something highlighted during the pandemic – and freeport status means we can cement our role at the centre of Britain's post- Brexit global trading relationship.
"We are in a unique position as the only inland
freeport among the 8 designated zones, which is testament to East Midlands Airport's reputation as the country's most important mover of international freight and the catalyst for the explosive growth we've witnessed in our region's logistics sector in recent years. "This free trade zone, which will have a
focus on innovation, low carbon and trade, signals the direction of travel for the East Midlands economy – giving investors something tangible to back in order to deliver the inward investment and jobs
that will enable growth.” The wider budget announcements – which included announcements of further short-term
support for businesses affected by lockdown and longer-term incentives for ambitious firms wanting to innovate and grow – also had the broad approval of businesses, despite the rise in corporation tax for the largest companies. “Many firms will welcome a business-friendly budget
that not only supports them through what is hopefully the final throes of this pandemic, but also provides a shot in the arm to help them grow, invest and innovate during the post-Covid economic recovery,” added Scott. “It’s important to note though that while this
appears on the face of it to be an optimistic budget that is friendly to growth ambitions, announcements of this type only become meaningful once the money starts flowing through – so clearly we will be watching closely to see the Chancellor’s promises delivered over the coming year.”
EU exports tumble after Brexit
Exports of UK goods to the EU fell by 40.7% in January – with imports decreasing by 28.8%, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
During the same month, UK
economic output shrank by 2.9%. David Pearson (pictured), the Chamber’s director of partnerships, said the figures tallied with the “significant hit” to East Midlands exports and imports witnessed by the international trade team. “We’ve seen very minor signs of
recovery during February and March, but it’s clear that we won’t return to the same levels of international trade in a matter of
weeks or months so we remain cautious,” he said. “The Chamber has helped
businesses in our region throughout this time, delivering more than 250 hours of free advice and support to businesses trading with the EU. “This covers a vast range of
topics – in most cases, we’re finding issues are unique to each company – but there are certainly prevailing problems around rules of origin, VAT and duties. “The Government’s decision to
postpone border checks on certain EU goods, including foodstuff and animal products, by six months until October this year is a positive
step to help smooth the transition for UK importers. However, we need to also simplify the process for similar products being exported into the EU.”
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