Business urged to be ‘more direct’ to win new US trade after Trump victory
Businesses throughout the West Midlands should be alive to opportunities to win lucrative new trade across the US in the wake of the Donald Trump's return to power, delegates to a Chamber election breakfast were told.
Business leaders attending the event at Chamber HQ heard that business opportunities in America were plentiful, particularly for SMEs – but companies should emulate the “direct” approach of US businesses to pursue the many opportunities on offer.
A four-strong panel of experts agreed that the US represented huge potential for increased trade for the region’s business sector despite fears over the new President’s policies on tariffs as Americans digested his landslide victory.
Andy Dawson, director and co-founder of Curium Solutions in Birmingham, said: “The environment out there is positive, it is a strong economy. I am not sure what he (Trump) is going to do in the first 100 days. It’s a case of watch and see.
“As SMEs I just see there are opportunities there for small businesses to be nimble, to be alive to opportunities. We have got a lot of automotive manufacturers among our customer base - if it gets to tariffs then our customers are impacted, it potentially impacts on opportunities as well.”
Angelo Cugini, account executive with AJ Gallagher, said: “SMEs have been very resilient, whether it’s Covid or Donald Trump getting into the White House. I am a big believer that we will work around these problems. I think there are a lot of opportunities in the US for businesses with a presence there.
“Trump is looking to deregulate. That can be bad, that can be good. He is certainly looking to reduce taxes and the US economy is in a very good place, low inflation, low interest rates, a very good rate of GDP.
“The UK Government have got to be out there batting for SMEs – it needs to engage with the US administration and get as much opportunity as we can for SMEs.”
Former Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) president Deb Leary, CEO and founder of Forensic Pathways, urged companies to “shout loud” about their attributes.
“There are some real opportunities. We have a responsibility to put Birmingham on the map, we have to shout about our businesses, we have to be like Trump and shout about what we want, not be frightened.”
Lis Lewis-Jones, founder of Birmingham PR firm Liquid, said: “Move politicians to one side and business will always sort it out. It’s about building relationships and contacts. OK, we do not have a trade agreement with the US but actually we have a MOU with 13 states.”
She also voiced fears over Trump’s tariff policy. “It is very much a case of putting America first and putting a tariff on goods that go in from the UK and from Europe. The farming industry is the bedrock of a lot of activity and many are nervous about Trump being President.”
Jayne Hume, head of international divisions at the GBCC, said: “The key messages are we need to move towards rather than back off. We need to be stronger and clearer on messaging what we want, stand our ground, and look for opportunities.
“Here at the Chamber we are looking at every single member - where do you want to trade, what can we do to help you. It is not going to be big actions, it is about taking small, granular steps.”
