Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps his Department is taking to promote UK automotive exports to the international market.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) is actively engaged in promoting UK automotive exports globally, making full use of our teams in the UK and at posts overseas including in our current priority markets: the USA, China, Germany, Central/Eastern Europe, Mexico and India. We help companies win export business through participation in overseas missions and events, including through the Tradeshow Access Programme. Recent examples include the Prime Minister’s mission to China where we supported a number of UK automotive companies, and a low-carbon vehicle mission to the USA and Mexico. We promote UK automotive industry excellence through the Great international trade campaign. We also provide competitive financial support through UK Export Finance, helping exporters and tier-one suppliers to trade internationally. Global demand for UK automotive products is strong and this Department is helping to ensure our automotive businesses take full advantage.