The Import Export Show, which took place in London on Tuesday (3 December), saw major figures in international trade join business leaders and representatives for speeches, panels and Q&A sessions.
Also featured were a raft of polls, where delegates expressed their views on a range of questions and issues in trade, ahead of what is likely to be another major year for importers and exporters in the sector in 2025.
Tariffs
The primary concern for delegates in an opening poll was perhaps unsurprising: tariffs.
With former US president Donald Trump set to return to the White House in January, following November’s election triumph, the US could soon be ramping up tariffs on its allies as well as its rivals.
Last month, Trump promised to impose additional tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China on the first day of his administration, with a flat 20% tariff also proposed for other countries during the election campaign.
Grace Thompson, UK public affairs lead at the Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade, said:
“It is of no surprise that tariffs were the top voted concern about global trade for 2025, given recent reporting on potential US tariff decisions which might take place from January onwards.
“Regulatory change was the second most voted option, with businesses aware that changes in relation to regulations both at home and abroad could bring changes – for example, in relation to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and ESG tracking.”
EU in focus
Asked which market they would like to see the US improve relations with in 2025, a majority of delegates were clear: the EU.
A total of 68% said the bloc should be the UK government’s priority, ahead of the US on 28% and Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) nations on 19%.
Thompson said that “with the EU being our largest (and closest) trading partner, the international trade community is eager for positive signs as to the easing of trade facilitation between EU countries and the UK”.
The prominence of the US in the poll perhaps reflects business hopes for “effective diplomacy” to mitigate the tariff threat, she added. She also noted that it was “interesting” that China received 16% of the vote.
“This ties in with recent statements from business and trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds that he is ‘certainly’ prepared to discuss reopening the UK-China Joint Economic and Trade Commission.”
Boosting UK trade
An afternoon session on the trading potential of the UK’s nations and regions also featured a poll that asked what attendees believed is the most effective way to boost trade in these areas.
Half of those at the session said that “enhanced support for SMEs to access global markets” was the best way to boost regional trade, while the second-placed options was “increased government investment in regional infrastructure”, which included both physical and digital measures, on 15%.
Thompson said:
“Throughout the day, there was a strong emphasis – including from UK Export Finance (UKEF) CEO Tim Reid – on the need to support SMEs to grow their trade reach.
“Infrastructure improvement was the second most voted option – including transport and digital connectivity. This was interesting given research by the Chartered Institute of Export and International Trade - with Flint Global - last year, which highlighted the importance of strong infrastructure, proximity to airports and resilient broadband connectivity as factors which help improve a region’s services export potential.”
Optimism and FTAs
An afternoon poll on optimism around trade in 2025 found that delegates remained positive – the overall score on a 1-10 scale for optimism was a 6.9, which Thompson described as “relatively high”.
Responding to another poll on how confident attendees were with navigating the provisions of free trade agreements (FTAs), 31% said they were outright confident while 59% said they were confident “on some areas”.
This poll result came in the light of another on how delegates said they find support for exporting to new markets. While 44% said they use government resources, almost a quarter of all respondents said they were likely to use a trade association for support and further information.
This, Thompson said, is a “positive sign that the business community is engaging with what they can gain from FTAs and are looking at how to utilise them most effectively”.
The Import Export Show will return on 19 November 2025. You can already book your tickets for the conference here.
