BUSINESSES in Kent are being advised to take a fresh look at opportunities presented by exporting in the wake of the expansion of the European Union.

The EU welcomed 10 new member states – Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia – in May, which means millions of potential new customers.

Chris Lowsley, international trade manager at Business Link Kent, the business advice organisation, said: “Business Link Kent provides a wide range of free and subsidised services to assist Kent businesses to maximise the opportunities presented by the recent broadening of the EU. UK companies can now trade on a level playing field anywhere across 25 countries.

“There are many opportunities opened up for local businesses by an enlarged single market of 450 million consumers, the largest such market for trade and investment in the world. Now is undoubtedly the time to take a fresh look at exporting.”

Sectors such as environmental technology, ICT, marine industries, automotive, healthcare and bioscience, creative businesses, aerospace and airports are all special areas of interest in the new member states. Business Link Kent can dovetail with specialist Trade Advisers supported by the South East England Development Agency, who can give expert insight into these trade areas.

Mr Lowsley added: “The role of the International Trade Team is to encourage and help Kent firms secure and sustain overseas sales. The team’s members can assess whether a company’s products/services would suit overseas markets, assist in selecting the best countries on which to concentrate export efforts and help decide which markets to target.”