3.2 Ownership profile of top 500 exporting businesses
Of the 100 businesses exporting the most from Scotland, the vast majority are owned outwith Scotland – with only 14% being owned in Scotland. Another 19% are owned in the rest of the UK.
This contrasts with the ownership profile of the next 400 exporters with over a third owned in Scotland.
Source: Based on data from Export Statistics Scotland 2017
This chart also highlights the importance of foreign direct investment (FDI) to exports given that 60% of exports are delivered by the first 100 exporting businesses and 67% are owned outside the UK. Increasing FDI can have a further positive impact on exports as foreign owned businesses tend to be more internationally focused and export orientated.
Size of top 500 exporting businesses
While a high proportion of businesses in the top 100 exporters are large businesses, it is interesting to note that 74% of businesses in the next 400 exporters are SMEs.
Source: Based on data from Export Statistics Scotland 2017