Call for Evidence: Future-Proofing Supply Chains
The International Trade & Investment All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) is launching an inquiry to delve into the challenges which UK trading businesses can face with supply chain resiliency. This inquiry aims to evaluate a wide range of business feedback and make practical recommendations to government to ensure that UK businesses are supported in the best ways possible.
When sudden short-term incidents plunge supply chains into chaos - e.g. the recent power outages in Spain and Portugal - we can see clearly just how vulnerable those supply chains can be to events. Long-term incidents have similarly damaging impacts – e.g. the period of disruption both during, and after, the COVID-19 pandemic. More broadly, UK businesses are currently facing a particularly intense period of uncertainty, influenced by fluctuating trade relationships with partners around the world, new tariff measures from the US, and ongoing conflicts around the world.
With this in mind, please respond to any of relevant questions below by emailing publicaffairs@export.org.uk by 6th June 2025. Please do share this call for evidence with others who might be willing to respond, as we are keen to get as much input as possible.
Please also provide us with an overview of your business in your response, if you are willing – e.g. size, sector, turnover, etc. This will help us to understand the context of your response and gauge the range of businesses we have responding to us. Please do feel free to include any quantitative data as part of the response.
How prepared do you feel that the UK trading business community is for either long-term or short-term disruptive events, and why?
What are the most significant market access barriers you currently face when looking to export, and why?
What role do you feel technology has to play in supporting supply chain resiliency? Are there particular technologies your business is currently utilising?
How can ESG standards be better integrated and/or incentivized in supply chains? How much of a priority is the pursuit of net zero to your business?
Which trading relationships would you like to see the UK prioritise, in order to ease supply chain pressures?
How much of an advantage do you feel you have competitively on the global stage if you are an accredited supplier? Have you been able to access specific opportunities overseas which have required particular standards to be in place?
What measures would you like to see implemented to effectively encourage businesses to prioritize manufacturing goods domestically?
Reflecting on ongoing disruption from trade wars, conflicts, political events and the ongoing after-effects of the pandemic, what support from government and/or industry associations do you feel would be most useful for the UK business community to prepare for any future shocks?