The Institute of Export (IOE) is launching a pioneering quarterly review of the international trade environment to take the pulse of exporters at grass roots level.

Spearheaded by our director general Lesley Batchelor, and building on our partnership with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the initiative is part of the IOE drive to promote Professionalism in International Trade (PIT) by providing a series of meetings across the country and for Institute members and all engaged in every aspect of international trade.

Each review will collate and summarise the issues of greatest concern to IOE members and UK exporters on a quarterly basis. It will include their responses on key issues which will reflect the concerns of business, their successes and challenges in different markets – and what support they require going forward.

Harnessing the combined influence of the IOE and ACCA, the responses will be fed through to government at all levels along with industry specialists and business media channels to further strengthen the IOE’s on-going lobbying drive for positive change.

The first review – coordinated across 3 venues throughout the UK – takes place on December 5 to coincide with the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement. It will entail IOE and ACCA members and colleagues debating and analysing the impact on the country’s exporters and co-ordinating a unified response. Future PIT STOPs will be based on responses to the quarterly trade figures announced by government.

Says Lesley Batchelor: “These reviews will accelerate our lobbying drive and will give a united voice for our members’ concerns and successes to be recognised at a government and wider level.

“We are compiling a manifesto, based on evidence already presented to the Select Committee of the House of Lords, which will form the core of our ongoing PITSTOP programme. This is a powerful opportunity to ensure our members’ voices are not only heard – but acted upon.”