Member News

Where you shop matters

This attitude has gathered momentum during lockdown; shoppers have really appreciated and supported small businesses for both treats and essentials. From buying quirky bits and bobs at independent stores, to nipping into a family-run bakery – choosing local helps our communities get back up on their feet. 

A survey has found that ‘more than 80% of people in a Norfolk town would feel more inclined to support independent businesses’ after the coronavirus crises. This is great news, since over 60% of small/medium-size enterprises believe they’ll be out of business by April 2021. Now really is the time to celebrate our little independents!

Shop local: it’s a tiny switch to make, but it makes a world of difference. Let’s take a look at the bigger picture. 

What does it mean to shop local?

‘Shop local’, ‘shop small’, ‘support independent businesses’. These phrases have flooded our vocabulary, news stories and hashtags. Instagram has even introduced a ‘support small business’ sticker, which allows you to share your favourite independents with friends. But what does it actually mean?

Shopping local is the act of people (like you) choosing to buy your produce/clothing/day-to-day items from a business that’s local, rather than going to a larger retailer. Wondering what the benefits might be? There’s plenty.

Supporting your community

Did you know that for every £1 spent with an independent business, between 50-70p circulates back into the local economy? 

Plus, local businesses are owned by people who live in your community. That means they’re more invested in the community’s welfare and future.

The Lanes are home to over 300 independent shops, cafès, restaurants, galleries and pubs. So, we’re truly spoilt for choice here in Norwich.

‘Every time you spend money, you’re casting a vote for the kind of world you want.’  How does it benefit the environment?

Popping into a local shop in the city centre reduces environmental impact (and quite significantly!). Here’s how: 

Local bakers, farm shops and green grocers offer produce with a short field-to-fork journey. This food doesn’t create large carbon footprints by overseas plane travel or long truck trips. There isn’t a need for packing facilities or refrigeration, either. 

So, fuel consumption and air pollution are minimised – whereas food from the supermarket may have travelled over 1500 miles to reach your plate. Better still, locally-sourced food is likely to contain more nutrients and have less packaging. A win-win situation!

The wonderful makers

Independent businesses are a breath of fresh air. They breathe originality and variety into communities, particularly those that are populated with generic stores. 

Another amazing thing about independent businesses is that they are run by people, not by boards or algorithms. You get to know the makers, along with all their passion and hard work, and they get to know you too. We think it’s more fun this way!

Shop local, support local, love local

At Goodery, we have a big heart for this. That’s why we connect local farmers, ethical businesses and conscious consumers. We do this with zero emissions and as little waste as possible.

If you’re a local supplier who wants to sell your products on our site, we’d love to hear from you. Just click here to get in touch. 

The Goodery family has grown!

We love combining forces with people who are passionate about the local community and organic food (our team really does share the same DNA!).

Let’s get to know team member, Ellie, with a fire-round of questions.

Q: We’re so grateful to have you managing our socials. Thank you for all your hard work. How did you get connected to Goodery? A: It’s such a pleasure. I genuinely love everything about Goodery, it doesn’t feel like working at all!

I’d ordered a box before and I loved the company’s produce and values. I joined the team shortly after I went on a walk with my friend Matti, who leads customer service; he was talking about work, and I said I’d love to be a part of it. Here I am!

Q: You’re also a business owner. Can you tell me about that? Woah, it’s so strange being called a business owner! So, I recently started a tasty vegan takeaway from my home kitchen. Maple Spinach is a one-woman business (cooking, cleaning, marketing, customer service), and I absolutely love it.

Q: What do you think is wrong with the world? The abundance of environmental issues, including climate change, pollution, disposal of waste, etc.

I think there’s lack of education about what is really happening. While I do think individuals have responsibility to stay informed on the matter, I believe that the government needs to step up and address the environmental crises.

Q: What do you feel you want to do to help fix it? Working for, supporting and shopping from Goodery really makes a difference. A lot of the people I cook for are non-vegan, too – cutting down on meat consumption is such a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. I want to continue having important conversations with people who might be unaware of how poorly the planet is. I also want to reduce my waste significantly. I hope to get rid of single use plastics completely!

Q: What’s one thing you’re grateful for? Family. That includes my church family, Goodery family and friends. Q: If you could wave a magic wand and change anything about the world, what would you change? Why? I’d align all the hearts in the world to be passionate about combating discrimination. I think that so many (if not all) problems stem from this.  

Work to develop a plan for King’s Lynn that could bring £25M in funding into the town is moving forward.

The Town Investment Plan is being developed by the Town Board, which brings together representatives from the private and public sector, and will set out the vision, priorities, and interventions that could significantly enhance the town.

The plan’s development comes after the government allocated £25m for King’s Lynn in 2019 through the Town’s Fund, which was set up to drive economic regeneration.  The plan must include projects focused on the themes of urban regeneration, planning and land use; skills and enterprise infrastructure, and connectivity.

Consultation has been taking place to gain insight to help to shape the plan. This has included business and consumer confidence surveys that ran earlier this summer and a workshop for town centre businesses, taking place on 9 September. The workshop saw themes such as opportunities and challenges and investment in the public realm discussed and also provided an update into progress on the Town Investment Plan.

Further opportunities for people to feedback on the plan and its projects will be offered on a regular basis.

Graham Purkins, Chair of the Town Board and Chief Technology Officer with Merxin Ltd commented: “The consultation which we have been carrying out gives us a really useful insight into some of the needs and priorities for businesses and consumers going forward.

“It is clear that Covid-19 has had an impact in the town, but the resilience and adaptability of businesses and consumers has also been revealed by our research.

“The plan that we are developing will form part of the recovery and renewal of King’s Lynn and so the feedback we have received, at the workshop and in the surveys, is extremely useful. I am really grateful for everyone who took the time to have their say.”

Earlier this summer, the Vision King’s Lynn consumer and business surveys aimed to understand confidence in the town, in light of Covid-19. 276 consumers and 72 businesses gave their views in the consultation which ran just prior to the reopening of non-essential retail. The research found:

Consumer Insight Survey

• At the time of asking, there was a great deal of uncertainty about coming back to the town centre with 46% of consumers feeling confident but 36.8% of respondents stating that they felt unsure.
• The big concern was feeling safe, and the public needed reassurance around social distancing and the measures that have been taken.
• The main purpose people had for coming in was non-essential shopping.
• There has been a big shift in online use in the preceding months, including online banking. This has been through necessity as well as choice.

Business Insight Survey:

• Covid-19 had had a negative impact on most (86.7%) of the businesses who took part in the survey – but 63.5% of respondents said that they are confident that they can recover.
• Businesses have adapted over the last few months, with implementing social distancing measures the main change that has been made.
• The key challenges for businesses in the coming months is retaining and attracting customers, and financial pressures. Businesses would like financial support and help with marketing the town and bringing footfall in.
• There is uncertainty in the future.

The respondents in both surveys stated that they would like to see outdoor seating areas and short-term pop-up shops in the town.

The most recent consultation follows on from previous Vision King’s Lynn surveys which aimed to understand satisfaction with the town as well as needs and ideas. The insight gathered through Vision King’s Lynn consultations will help to inform the plan which will be submitted to government by 31st October with the Town Deal expected to be agreed with government by end of March 2021.

Graham Purkins commented: “This is a once in a generation opportunity for King’s Lynn, to deliver a plan of activity that can bring huge benefits for the town.

“We have much to be proud of in King’s Lynn and with this investment, and through our plan, we can make the most of our very many assets and enhance the town to be a place where people want and aspire to be.”

Through the Town Investment Plan, the aim is for King’s Lynn to be a thriving place where people and businesses want to be, where aspiration is inspired and met, and where potential is fulfilled, now and for generations to come.  The plan will enhance the town centre experience for all, providing cultural and leisure opportunities, a new residential offer, and a revived waterfront. The plan will support business innovation and collaboration, and increase access to learning, skills, and employment. The plan will provide for improved and sustainable connections, and will help with the town’s recovery and renewal from the impact of Covid-19, ensuring the long-term success of King’s Lynn.

Follow Vision King’s Lynn on Twitter @vision_lynn Facebook: Vision King’s Lynn or visit www.visionkingslynn.co.uk for updates and further information.

*The winners of the Vision King’s Lynn prize draw were Marc Melton, Adam Knight, and Aga Munns.

Please click onto the document to read this week’s market summary.

Norfolk and Waveney cancer charity, Big C, has launched a charity lottery to attract financial support following the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Carole Slaughter, Head of Fundraising at Big C, said, “Our sources of income have been hard hit by the consequences of the coronavirus outbreak and so, as ever, we are looking for new ways to raise money and continue to provide as much help as possible for those in our community affected by cancer. We have been considering a Big C lottery for some time and we are delighted to now be able to announce its launch.”

Big C’s lottery is managed by Unity Lottery (Sterling Management Centre Ltd), a UK company with more than 20 years’ experience of running lotteries for charities.

For those over 18 who decide to play, there is the chance to support Big C and win up to £25,000 each week, plus other cash prizes. Players can take part for a minimum of £1 per week. For every £1 play each week, a unique 6-digit lottery number will be received. Each £1 entry has a 1 in 63 chance of winning one of four prizes.

A television commercial and press advertising campaign will support the launch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjy_XnuqVWM

To find out more please visit  https://www.big-c.co.uk/get-involved/big-c-lottery.aspx

The largest free to use long range wide-area network (LoRaWAN) deployment in the UK is set to be launched here in Norfolk.

Norfolk County Council is officially launching the Norfolk and Suffolk Innovation Network on Tuesday 15 September with a free online event aimed at businesses in the county to encourage them to make use of the innovative new technology.

Tech experts including Norfolk County Council’s Chief Technical Officer Kurt Frary will explain how the technology works, with Leader Andrew Proctor and Cllr Tom FitzPatrick outlining the council’s ambition for connectivity in Norfolk.

Once finished, the network will be made up of 120 ‘gateways’ that are located across the county. These receive data from small sensors which can be programmed to measure things like temperature, sound and movement. The network has been built in partnership with Suffolk County Council and funded by the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership.

Businesses can buy their own sensors, adapt them to measure different things like visitor numbers, weather data and temperature, and tap into the gateways for free. Norfolk County Council will help them get set up and begin receiving data to help them make decisions about their business.

Cllr Tom FitzPatrick, Cabinet Member for Innovation, Transformation and Performance, said: “Our Innovation Network is already helping kickstart innovation here in Norfolk, with industry leaders including Ben Burgess using it to help farmers and agriculture companies measure rain and weather data.

“We’re already using sensors to measure road surface temperatures for gritting runs, humidity levels in our storage archives, and visitor numbers on our trails. But the only real limit with this technology is your imagination, so we’d like to see as many businesses as possible attending. Come get involved, help us continue our drive to make Norfolk better connected than ever, and take advantage of the benefits offered by this digital innovation.”

Businesses and individuals are encouraged to sign up to the event for free on the Eventbrite page.

Around half of the gateways have been completed, with the rollout to new locations prioritised according to where businesses interested in using the network are based.

Before the network, sensors would need memory and could cost upwards of £1,000. But with the new gateways, people can use cheaper, low power sensors that can cost as little as £10 and focus more on gathering and then transmitting data over a long distance, rather than storing it.

Gateways are being extended across Suffolk, with an official launch planned over the coming months to encourage Suffolk businesses to get involved and make use of the network.

For 30 years, the Norfolk Business Awards have celebrated and rewarded business excellence. Amidst challenging times for many businesses as we enter this milestone year, it seems more important than ever that we recognise the strength of our business community.

We hope that you will put your hard work, resilience and adaptability centre stage by submitting an entry. The awards are currently open for entries, and in our 30th year, as ever we will search for the very best of the best of what our wonderful region has to offer. Despite current challenges the awards are here to celebrate the strength of the Norfolk business community.

Following feedback from the business industry, we are pleased to extend our entry deadline and will accept entries up until midnight on Sunday 20 September – giving more businesses the opportunity and time to submit their entries.

We have no doubt that once again this year we will be able to the tell stories of invention, brave leadership and good, old-fashioned hard graft. But what is already abundantly clear is that 2020 is going to be unique. At the start of the year no-one could have predicted the impact the virus would have on business. But equally no-one would have predicted some of the incredible ways our business community rose to the challenge. Whether it was changing production to make vital PPE for frontline NHS workers or rushing through new technology and training a whole workforce to stay connected from home. Of course we are not yet out of the woods. The challenges of this pandemic will continue for the foreseeable. But these awards are the perfect opportunity to celebrate the ways in which your business has survived and thrived.

This year our headline sponsor is Barclays – a fitting company to have in a year when banks had to come to the rescue of many firms. We would like to pass on great thanks to Barclays and all of our category sponsors over this period. We might be battling through a tough time for businesses but it is right to recognise excellence, and all of our sponsors are certain to support this.

Our entry partner is Reflection PR – if you need support with making the best of your entry visit www.reflectionprawards.co.uk or call 01603 219191.

To view the criteria, and submit your entries into the 2020 awards, please visit our awards website www.norfolkbusinessawards.co.uk – We cannot wait to hear your stories.

If you have any questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to contact the Archant Events Team at all.awards@archant.co.uk.

We reopened on the 18th July and were very much ready to welcome you back safely.

Your Health and Safety is a top priority for us! Therefore we have implemented additional safety measures to ensure to our best capability, that we provide the cleanest and safest environment for everyone while enjoying our escape games.

Teams must be from a maximum of two households/bubbles.

Currently, for enhanced safety for all personnel and to aid the cleaning processes, we require our players to wear a face covering throughout the entire visit and course of the game. In case somebody arrives without a mask, we can supply them from our stock for a small fee of £1 and any profits will be donated to local charity.

To assist NHS Test and Trace we have been asked to keep a temporary record of our visitors for 21 days.

Teams are to gather outside the building, socially distancing from each other, and will be called in 10 mins prior to your game start time. Please ensure you are at the venue at your designated time, as lateness may lead to shorter time in the room, as we require the full cleaning time which takes priority prior to the next game. If arriving early, please wait outside until you are called at your time, again as we will be using full designated time for cleaning. There are individual reception areas for each game, so teams will not need to be in close contact to each other.

As we only have one toilet for staff use, these will be closed for customer use, as we do not have the resource to clean these after every customer use. Please try and use alternative facilities prior to your arrival. For Tombland, there may be public toilets open across the road at the Cathedral. For Rose Lane, you can use the toilets on ground floor of the car park.

Please use the hand sanitizers on entering the building, and before and after the game, which are positioned at each entrance / exit. Gloves are not permitted to bring in the rooms due to cleanliness, we can however provide gloves at the venue if required, but we champion hand cleaning over the use of gloves.

Our staff will be distancing themselves from our guests by at least 1m at all times, as well as wearing face coverings when necessary. They have access to PPE equipment and hand sanitiser around the premises in order to work ensuring the safety of all customers and staff.

Touch points in games rooms, briefing rooms and common areas are sanitised with a medical grade anti-viral cleaner between every group of players. This also includes all props, padlocks, handles, surfaces etc. etc. Any hard to reach surfaces/items are cleaned with an anti-viral aerosol cleaner so that every single surface is sanitised.

All rooms have been slightly adapted to remove most unnecessary items not required in the game, to aid minimum contact. Also, most rooms have spare props which are rotated and replaced each game whilst undergoing cleaning. There are also other items, without giving anything away, are replaced fresh/clean for each game.

Where practical, windows and doors are opened between games along with the use of some air purifiers to aid ventilation.

Should anyone display ANY known Covid symptoms – a persistent cough, high temperature or a loss of taste/smell, then they will not be permitted entry into the building or allowed to play. If anyone displays these symptoms and you need to cancel, please email us and we will action according to our relaxed Ts and Cs as per below. Please notify us beforehand, as a no-show will fall under our normal Ts and Cs.

Our temporary cancellation policy now in force is as follows-

For cancellations with more than 48hrs notice, we can offer you a free reschedule by way of a full value voucher valid for 12 months from issue.

For cancellations, within 48hrs of game time, we can offer a reschedule which incurs a small fee of £15. This will be by way of a voucher valid for 12 months, for your original value less the £15 fee. The fee is charged to cover the staffing costs allocated and incurred to cover your game, as the staffing rota will currently be being prepared 48 hours in advance.

This is much relaxed from our normal Ts and Cs requiring 7 days notice, and higher fees. This is a temporary adjustment to our Ts and Cs for cancellations, and all other Ts and Cs remain as normal. We will review and reinstate our normal Ts and Cs in the future when appropriate to do so.

With all these safety measures in place, we consider our escape rooms to be safe and fun, as long as you follow the guidelines within.

We may review this policy as the situation develops in line with government advice and guidance set out by Public Health England to ensure your safety.

In case you would like to get any further information or details on safety and hygiene please contact info@cryptic-escape.co.uk

We reopened on the 18th July and were very much ready to welcome you back safely.

Your Health and Safety is a top priority for us! Therefore we have implemented additional safety measures to ensure to our best capability, that we provide the cleanest and safest environment for everyone while enjoying our escape games.

Teams must be from a maximum of two households/bubbles.

Currently, for enhanced safety for all personnel and to aid the cleaning processes, we require our players to wear a face covering throughout the entire visit and course of the game. In case somebody arrives without a mask, we can supply them from our stock for a small fee of £1 and any profits will be donated to local charity.

To assist NHS Test and Trace we have been asked to keep a temporary record of our visitors for 21 days.

Teams are to gather outside the building, socially distancing from each other, and will be called in 10 mins prior to your game start time. Please ensure you are at the venue at your designated time, as lateness may lead to shorter time in the room, as we require the full cleaning time which takes priority prior to the next game. If arriving early, please wait outside until you are called at your time, again as we will be using full designated time for cleaning. There are individual reception areas for each game, so teams will not need to be in close contact to each other.

As we only have one toilet for staff use, these will be closed for customer use, as we do not have the resource to clean these after every customer use. Please try and use alternative facilities prior to your arrival. For Tombland, there may be public toilets open across the road at the Cathedral. For Rose Lane, you can use the toilets on ground floor of the car park.

Please use the hand sanitizers on entering the building, and before and after the game, which are positioned at each entrance / exit. Gloves are not permitted to bring in the rooms due to cleanliness, we can however provide gloves at the venue if required, but we champion hand cleaning over the use of gloves.

Our staff will be distancing themselves from our guests by at least 1m at all times, as well as wearing face coverings when necessary. They have access to PPE equipment and hand sanitiser around the premises in order to work ensuring the safety of all customers and staff.

Touch points in games rooms, briefing rooms and common areas are sanitised with a medical grade anti-viral cleaner between every group of players. This also includes all props, padlocks, handles, surfaces etc. etc. Any hard to reach surfaces/items are cleaned with an anti-viral aerosol cleaner so that every single surface is sanitised.

All rooms have been slightly adapted to remove most unnecessary items not required in the game, to aid minimum contact. Also, most rooms have spare props which are rotated and replaced each game whilst undergoing cleaning. There are also other items, without giving anything away, are replaced fresh/clean for each game.

Where practical, windows and doors are opened between games along with the use of some air purifiers to aid ventilation.

Should anyone display ANY known Covid symptoms – a persistent cough, high temperature or a loss of taste/smell, then they will not be permitted entry into the building or allowed to play. If anyone displays these symptoms and you need to cancel, please email us and we will action according to our relaxed Ts and Cs as per below. Please notify us beforehand, as a no-show will fall under our normal Ts and Cs.

Our temporary cancellation policy now in force is as follows-

For cancellations with more than 48hrs notice, we can offer you a free reschedule by way of a full value voucher valid for 12 months from issue.

For cancellations, within 48hrs of game time, we can offer a reschedule which incurs a small fee of £15. This will be by way of a voucher valid for 12 months, for your original value less the £15 fee. The fee is charged to cover the staffing costs allocated and incurred to cover your game, as the staffing rota will currently be being prepared 48 hours in advance.

This is much relaxed from our normal Ts and Cs requiring 7 days notice, and higher fees. This is a temporary adjustment to our Ts and Cs for cancellations, and all other Ts and Cs remain as normal. We will review and reinstate our normal Ts and Cs in the future when appropriate to do so.

With all these safety measures in place, we consider our escape rooms to be safe and fun, as long as you follow the guidelines within.

We may review this policy as the situation develops in line with government advice and guidance set out by Public Health England to ensure your safety.

In case you would like to get any further information or details on safety and hygiene please contact info@cryptic-escape.co.uk

Would you like to take a pivotal role in transforming the future of Great Yarmouth, Gorleston and Bradwell?

The board would like to invite you to join us in this exciting conversation, consider public feedback and finalise the Investment Plan.  It’s time to invest in Our Place, to re-invent public spaces, to grow a thriving art and cultural scene, to support new homes, nurture new jobs, businesses, new opportunities to learn and grow, to make our people, businesses and visitors proud.

With lots already underway, including major seafront and town centre regeneration, we are applying for up to £25 million of Government money known as a ‘Town Deal’. This will attract further investment and drive economic regeneration, recovery and growth across Great Yarmouth, Gorleston and Bradwell, our main urban areas. Our Town Deal Board of local ambassadors local ambassadors from private, public and third sector is writing the Investment Plan of ideas about how that money could be spent in Our Place. The Board is developing ideas for investment across four themes: Regeneration & Business Development, Skills & Aspiration, Arts, Culture & Tourism, and Connectivity & Sustainability.

We have two dates to discuss the four themes via zoom:

• Businesses Monday September 14th – 1pm to 2.30pm

• Young People Wednesday September 16th   – 3.30pm to 5pm

To register an interest, please email:

david.wiles@great-yarmouth.gov.uk by Wednesday 9th September

Carrow Road is set to re-open for Conference, Meetings and Events from Tuesday, October 1.

Head of Conference, Meetings and Events Helen Gooch and Head of Catering Stuart Cox explained how these facilities will be opening safely and what to expect from the venue.

What saftety measures have been put in place?

From October 1 we’ve been given the go ahead to open up for our conference, meetings and events business. We’ve looked at the guidance in great detail and introduced quite a few things with that, which are temperature checks for all of our staff on a daily basis and we’ve also created a health questionnaire for them to complete, which gives us track and trace availability if need be. We’ve also risk assessed all of our venue with the new COVID-19 guidelines and we’ve then drawn up our own safety policy regarding that, so we’re all ready from that point of view to be open from October 1.

What’s available in terms of technology provided?

In the South Stand, particularly where we are today, we’ve got the Top of the City here, alongside 15 executive boxes just down the corridor and Club 101 just on the next floor down. Just as an example, guests could have Top of the City for a conference, but actually have delegates in some of the boxes or Club 101.

The screens we have around the stadium can be linked to the presentation, so no matter what room you were in, you could still see the content and feel joined up, but still have social distancing in mind and being in different spaces, if that works.

Last summer, we spent an awful lot of money on revamping everything we had from an audio-visual point of view, we spent close to about £400,000, really bringing it up to modern day requirements for clients. We’ve also now introduced a live-streaming ability from one of our conference rooms, so you could hold a conference, an AGM or something like that where it can be broadcast live from there and then.

What else can the Executive Boxes be used for?

We have within the stands 17 main meeting spaces and also 41 executive boxes ranging in sizes. Within in the South Stand’s 15 boxes, there’s two double boxes that can open up to hold a maximum capacity of 20. Although lower at a social distance capacity, there is flexibility if you have a small meeting to hold and want some extra space, the double boxes are good for that.

Tell us about the USPs of the venue itself.

We’re lucky to have our renowned Delia’s Canary Catering team on site, where everything is sourced locally if possible and we can adapt and change things as need be for our clients, so we’ve got a real unique selling point.

We can host different companies’ events in different stands, knowing if they want to, they can be the only one in anyone given stand. The great thing is we have lots of different entrances and exits throughout the stadium, lots of washrooms, so wherever you are within the stadium there’ll be a selection of facilities guests can use whilst they are here. It’s really unique in that way that we have got that to help people feel safe and secure when they’re here.

To celebrate Import Export Support’s sixth anniversary, I’ve been looking back at the events which have had a big effect on our line of work – it’s been a tumultuous six years! 

2014    July: Oil prices crash.  What goes up can come down. At the beginning of the month oil costs over $100 a barrel but after OPEC stops supporting the price, it drops to $50 or less and there is a glut of cheap oil. Prices remain well below 2014 levels. August: Ebola declared an international health emergency  Trade and economic activity across West Africa is affected by the “largest, most severe and most complex Ebola epidemic” in history, according to the World Health Organization. 28,000 people are infected and 11,000 people die. 1st September: Launch of Import Export Support I take a deep breath and launch IES, with the objective of offering professional expertise to importers and exporters in East Anglia. 2015    August: China devalues the Renminbi Beijing sends shock waves through global financial markets when it devalues the Renminbi or yuan against the dollar and investors take it as a sign that the Chinese economy is in trouble. The Shanghai stock market plunges, China reports lower than expected growth of ‘only’ 6.9 percent and economic growth around the world slows. In the UK, importers worry that trade with China may never return and start to review their sourcing strategies October: TPP finally gets done. After seven years of negotiations, the US, Canada, Australia and nine other countries finally agree the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the largest regional trade deal in history. However, in 2017 new US President Donald Trump takes the US out of the agreement. Undeterred, the eleven other countries negotiate their own deal which incorporates most of the old TPP but excludes the US. 2016    May: The EU launch the Union Customs Code In a major change for UK businesses who trade in the EU, the UCC is the result of years of planning to streamline and simplify trade across the single market. By bringing most of the EU’s customs legislation into one package and clarifying rules of application, it is designed to make trade between EU based businesses simpler, quicker and less of a burden. June: The EU referendum Treat poll results with a grain of salt. That’s the lesson of Britain’s referendum on leaving the EU. Despite the predicted victory for Remain, Britons vote 52 to 48 percent for Leave. The vote highlights Britain’s fundamental divisions, ends the career of David Cameron and throws our political system into turmoil. Theresa May emerges from the resulting Conservative Party scrum to become the new prime minister. In East Anglia, importers and exporters look on with either leaver’s optimism or remainer’s pessimism at an unexpected future outside the EU. 2017    March: Britain triggers Article 50 Prime Minister May signs  Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. The move “from which there can be no turning back” gives Britain two years to negotiate the terms of its departure.  June: Theresa May tries to shore up a weak negotiating position by calling a snap election. Her decision backfires, the Conservatives lose 13 seats and May now has to manage a hung parliament.  December: Britain and the EU reach agreement to a payment of up to £60b to settle Britain’s debt to the EU. The two sides now focus on negotiating their future relationship. For importers and exporters the possibility of a hard Brexit is increasing. The clock is ticking. October: Global growth picks up Ten years after the Great Recession the IMF reports global economic growth is hitting record highs. “The outlook is strengthening… The Eurozone growth was at a ten-year high… The U.S. economy grew 3.3 percent in the third quarter… China beat its target of 6.5 percent growth.” 2018    January: Trump starts a trade war.  “I want tariffs,” Donald Trump tells his advisers and he gets his wish. In January the US administration imposes import tariffs on washing machines and solar panels, in March on steel and aluminium, and in July on $250 billion worth of Chinese imports. However, despite the President tweeting that “Trade wars are good, and easy to win,” US tariffs hurt more than help Americans. Trump has second thoughts about just how easy trade wars are and in July, the US strikes a deal with the EU to stop any further tariffs and start trade talks. In November, a trade truce is agreed with China. 2019    March: Brexit upends British politics.  As the March deadline for leaving the EU looms, Prime Minister Theresa May can’t persuade the House of Commons to approve the deal she has struck with the EU. The sticking point is the so-called backstop, designed to avoid a customs barrier in the Irish Sea. May delays Brexit until October 31, and after MPs vote down her deal for the third time, she resigns.  July: The Conservative Party elect Boris Johnson to be prime minister. He strikes a new deal with the EU that includes a customs barrier between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. Saddled with May’s hung parliament he employs controversial tactics to push the deal through, without success. Johnson, forced to extend the withdrawal deadline to January 2020, calls a snap election. British voters reward him, the Conservatives win their biggest majority in three decades, and, finally on December 20, MPs approve a deal to exit the EU. May: The US – China trade war reignites Further negotiations between the US and China are interspersed with tit-for-tat tariffs until in October a tentative agreement is reached. Both sides claim victory, however major disagreements between the two economic superpowers remain unresolved. 2020    31 January, a red letter day for business in Britain The European Council lowers the Union Jack, signalling that Britain is no longer a member state. Britain’s importers and exporters, having had a three year roller-coaster ride through many trade scenarios, can now look forward with more certainty, and there are signs that confidence is rising in Britain’s business community. Ominously, 31 January is also the day when the BBC reports “Two people have tested positive for coronavirus in the UK”. As we now know, Britain’s first COVID19 cases forewarn us of a situation where, for importers and exporters, the events of the previous six years pale into insignificance.