BRUSSELS: An economic and commercial counsellor at the Belgium Embassy in London, Ben De Smit, is set to speak at an export networking event being held by overseas trade specialist Chamber International at commercial law firm later this month.
His visit follows a statement from the prime minister of Belgian region Flanders, Geert Bourgeois, that Flanders wants a UK trade deal as part of creating a North Sea Union which would operate in a similar way to the Mediterranean Union and could also comprise Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Sweden, and Norway.
The event will discuss opportunities for UK exporters in continental Europe, including how they can use the ‘low countries’, such as The Netherlands and Belgium, as a gateway to trade throughout the continent.
The event will also see a talk from network development director at URICA Ltd, a global early payment network based in London, Wayne Morris, discussing how exporting businesses can pay and get paid on their own terms.
Financed by the government via the British Business Bank, URICA provides small businesses with a form of supply chain funding to support exporters without any need for debt, security or personal guarantees.
Director of Chamber International, Tim Bailey, says: “Belgium is our eighth largest export market, it’s within easy reach, English is widely spoken, market entry barriers are low and it wants to do more business with the UK. This makes it a perfect market for firms looking to build sales outside the UK.
