BICS weighted Scotland estimates: data to wave 96

Exporting and Importing Challenges

The BICS asks businesses that are currently trading about how current conditions, including the end of the EU transition period, have impacted on their exporting and importing – the specific questions asked are shown below.

Question: How did your business's exporting compare with this calendar month last year?

• exported/imported more
• exporting/importing stayed the same
• exported/imported less
• business was unable to export / import
• not sure

Figure 6: Of businesses currently trading that have exported in the last 12 months, 16.8% reported exporting more in October 2023 compared to October 2022, and 16.6% reported exporting less. An estimated 14.6% of applicable businesses have imported more in October 2023 compared to October 2022, and 11.8% have imported less.

Estimated share of businesses by exporting / importing change in October 2023 compared to October 2022. Businesses currently trading and exported / imported in last 12 months, with 10+ employees and a presence in Scotland. Wave 96.

Source: BICS Weighted Scotland Estimates - Wave 96 from the Scottish Government.  For Figure 6 data see tables ‘ExportingChangeOverYear’ and ‘ImportingChangeOverYear’.

Currently trading businesses that have exported or imported in the last 12 months, and reported on how exporting compared to the previous year, were asked if they had experienced an increase in exporting/importing challenges over the last month.

Figure 7: The challenges that were most commonly reported to have increased in October 2023 were changes in exchange rates, changes in transportation costs and additional paperwork – this was the case for both exporting and importing. However, an estimated 71.7% of exporters and 72.6% of importers reported that they did not experience an increase in exporting/importing challenges in October 2023 compared with September 2023.

Estimated share of businesses by increase in exporting / importing challenge in October 2023, compared with September 2023. Businesses currently trading and exported / imported in last 12 months, with 10+ employees and a presence in Scotland. Wave 96.

Source: BICS Weighted Scotland Estimates - Wave 96 from the Scottish Government.  For Figure 7 data see tables ‘ExportChallengeIncrease’ and ‘ImportChallengeIncrease’.

Businesses that reported challenges to exporting/importing were asked about the main cause of these exporting/importing challenges.

Figure 8:  In Wave 96, 38.5% of applicable exporters reported that the end of the EU transition period was the main cause of their exporting challenges.  This was also the most frequently reported cause of importing challenges (59.4%). The end of the EU transition period combined with the COVID-19 pandemic was reported as the main cause of challenges for a further 21.2% of exporters and 17.7% of importers. 

Estimated share of businesses by main cause of exporting / importing challenges. Businesses currently trading and exported / imported in last 12 months and experienced challenges, with 10+ employees and a presence in Scotland. Wave 96.

Source: BICS Weighted Scotland Estimates - Wave 96 from the Scottish Government.  For Figure 8 data see tables ‘ExportingChallengeYMainCause’ and ‘ImportingChallengeYMainCause’.