International trade and investment are vital to improving Scotland's competitiveness and reducing economic inequality. We want to promote Scotland as an attractive place to live, work, invest and do business.
Our objective is to enable Scottish businesses to export more goods and services to more markets and to secure greater foreign investment for Scotland.
Actions
As part of our “Team Scotland” approach to delivery, we are bringing together individuals, businesses and organisations with relevant experience and interests to promote international business and support opportunities. We are supporting international trade and investment in Scotland by:
- attracting and supporting investors
- helping Scottish businesses become exporters
- supporting existing Scottish exporters
- using the Ministerial Trade Board to provide more focus and strategic direction on helping improve Scotland’s exporting performance
- publishing our national export growth plan, A Trading Nation, in both PDF report and website formats:
- A Trading Nation PDF and html
- A Trading Nation website
- setting up a trade envoy network to promote Scotland in key markets
Background
Scotland’s international exports of goods and services increased by 34.6% between 2010 and 2017, from £24.1 billion to £32.4 billion. We want Scotland's exports to continue to increase, and for Scotland's economy and international profile to grow with them.
To help grow Scotland’s exports we launched A Trading Nation on 1 May 2019. This evidence based action plan identifies where our priority export sectors and markets are as well as identifying those businesses that are most likely to contribute to improving Scotland’s export performance. The plan will allow us to focus the current £40 million of export support delivered by our enterprise agencies towards those interventions and areas it will deliver the greatest results.
The plan is supported by £20 million of additional investment over the next three years and builds on the existing Economic Strategy and the work of the Enterprise and Skills Strategic Board. It is aligned with government priorities of inclusive growth and the wider internationalisation agenda.
Contact
Email: tradeandinvestment@gov.scot
Post:
Scottish Government
Directorate for International Trade and Investment
Trade and Investment Delivery Division~
5 Atlantic Quay
Glasgow
G2 8LU