Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps her Department is taking to support exports from the maritime sector.

The maritime sector is highly export oriented. The Department for International Trade (DIT) is focused on delivering Promoting the UK’s world-class global maritime offer, the Department’s five-year plan for the sector. The plan, developed in partnership with industry, focuses on UK strengths in many of the key technologies that will drive the future of maritime. These include digital, smart and green shipping and we will ensure that the UK maximises its share of a market that is projected to grow to £13 billion per year globally by 2030, from £4 billion today.

DIT is also working with other Government departments and industry to realise the ambitions of Maritime 2050, the Government’s strategy for the maritime sector. We will be supporting our world-leading maritime services sector, including shipping, insurance and arbitration, and supporting growth across the United Kingdom by leading generation of export opportunities in support of the National Shipbuilding Strategy.

Later this year, DIT is intending to launch a new Export Strategy, which forms an integral part of the Government’s package of responses to COVID-19 and sets a long-term strategic roadmap for UK exporters as the Transition Period comes to an end.