The EU remains the most important market

With the Covid-19 vaccination rollout gathering pace, there is genuine optimism that the business world can soon start planning its recovery, including a return of international trade exhibitions that are so important to growth.
Gardenex, the UK's Federation of Garden & Leisure Manufacturers Ltd, will take a lead role in helping British supp­liers to bounce back, especially in their efforts to export around the world.
Here Amanda Sizer Barrett, director gene­ral of the federation, discusses how Gardenex will be supporting its members throughout the recovery in 2021 and beyond:The past couple of years have seen huge challenges for UK businesses with the uncertainties of Brexit and the current coronavirus pandemic, but Gardenex is here to help.
As members of Gardenex, companies can benefit from our support and guidance on all aspects of future exporting, and we look forward to continuing to work with businesses to help them increase international sales.
We are looking forward to helping UK suppliers in the next months to navigate the outcome of the Brexit deal and to seize the undoubted international business opportunities that lie ahead.
Following the announcement of the UK-EU Trade & Cooperation Agreement (TCA), which was reached by the UK and the Euro­pean Union on Christmas Eve and implemented from 1st January, Gardenex launched a series of invaluable trade deal information bulletins to help UK companies navigate their way around the new rules in 2021.
The series of bulletins are part of a suite of invaluable information being provided to member companies. The combination of bulletins, industry updates, webinars and the association's online helpline is providing companies with valuable insights and practical support to help them protect and expand their international sales in a profitable manner following the UK's exit from the EU.
Our webinars and virtual Meet the International Buyers events have also proved valuable to exporters during a time when business people have not been able to meet face to face and we are putting in place a new schedule of these events, particularly the popular Meet the Buyer and Supplier events which prove so effective in producing new business for both international buyers and UK suppliers.
But I'm sure everyone is looking forward to a return to 'live' events in 2021 once current restrictions are lifted and we are safe to do so.
We're planning ahead for such events including Spoga+Gafa, which is currently scheduled to take…