Our Activities
Current Activities
This page details our planned activities, each of which is connected to the four focus areas of the group. These may will change over time so do check back for updates and use the Get Involved page to send any questions through to the secretariat.
SME Access to Finance
Supporting British growth - a roundtable series
Facilitating international trade
Earlier this year, UK Export Finance announced a record £11bn lending package by British banks to support British SMEs. This package is one of the largest collective moves by the banking sector and represents a historic show of confidence in the UK economy.
The APPG is delighted to be partnering with Santander, NatWest, and HSBC to deliver a panel session - three of the five leading banks is one of the largest collective moves by the banking sector - hosted by our Vice Chair, Lord Dominic Johnson, to discuss how we can continue to support the backbone of the economy.
2026 is an exciting year for trade in the UK. With the Trade Cooperation Agreement with the EU up for renewal in May and the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement forthcoming, there is an encouraging feeling amongst businesses.
At the APPG, we're keen promote opportunities to facilitate and ease trade. Discussions with industry offered suggestions such as cross-departmental approach to logistics and using digital currencies to speed up processes and improve protections.
The APPG is pleased to be organising roundtables in the Houses of Parliament, to discuss how inward investment to the UK can support growth. We are delighted that the sessions planned to date will be hosted by one of our members, Afzal Khan MP, and Callum Anderson MP.
We hope to conclude our investment series with a drinks reception in Spring 2027.
Previous Activities
The Trade Triangle - Session 2
UK Fintech in Focus
Thanksgiving parliamentary reception
The Trade Triangle - Session 1
Future proofing supply chains
Following a launch in October 2025, the APPG was pleased to host a second roundtable on the Trade Triangle, on 27th April, bringing together SMEs from across the Thames Valley for a highly insightful discussion on the opportunities and challenges they face as scaling exporters. The session was hosted in collaboration with the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce, and was ably chaired by Jack Rankin MP.
Key points raised included the variation in ability to provide skills training based on company size, access to export finance, the eight priority sectors, and the uneven awareness and utilisation of free trade agreements.
The APPG was delighted to hold a thought-leadership session, bringing together some of the UK’s leading fintech voices to examine our global competitiveness, just days ahead of the Government’s Budget.
With many thanks to Santander UK for hosting, the event brought together panellists from across the crypto space, regulatory circles, and traditional finance.
A lively discussion explored the UK's financial expertise and vibrant start-up base, as well as how AI can augment, rather than replace, the existing workforce.
Panellists and attendees alike also examined the challenges facing the sector, such as access to capital, the need to bolster skills (especially in AI), and the broader culture of risk aversion.
The main takeaway was a feeling of positivity and ambition that Britain can shape global standards in digital assets and lead the next wave of financial innovation from the front.
On the 18th November 2025, the APPG for International Trade & Investment was delighted to host Brown-Forman in the Churchill Room of the House of Commons for an evening reception celebrating thanksgiving.
Our Chair Mike Reader MP spoke about the importance of a two way UK-US investment partnership, with total trade between partners representing over £300bn in the last 12 months.
The event celebrated the contribution made by the whisky industry, one of the UK's leading exports and attendees sampled a number of whisky and gin products.
The reception also reflected on the 'UK-US Prosperity Deal' and other economic agreements secured in the last six months between the two partners. These interests all support the APPG's continued work on deepening international trade relationship.
The APPG was delighted to hold a thought-leadership session, bringing together some of the UK’s leading fintech voices to examine our global competitiveness, just days ahead of the Government’s Budget.
With many thanks to Santander UK for hosting, the event brought together panellists from across the crypto space, regulatory circles, and traditional finance.
A lively discussion explored the UK's financial expertise and vibrant start-up base, as well as how AI can augment, rather than replace, the existing workforce.
Panellists and attendees alike also examined the challenges facing the sector, such as access to capital, the need to bolster skills (especially in AI), and the broader culture of risk aversion.
The main takeaway was a feeling of positivity and ambition that Britain can shape global standards in digital assets and lead the next wave of financial innovation from the front.
In June 2025, the APPG looked at how prepared and resilient businesses are to supply chain shocks, what the biggest barriers that businesses in the trading environment face, and how both government and industry can work together to support business resilience in this area. Our report has been published and is accessible here.
