The North East has a great record for exporting metal products and manufactured goods, with both areas making up a large proportion of the region’s total exports.
The graphs below show recent trends.
However, over the last 4 years of Conservative government, the North East’s exports of metal products and other manufactured goods has fallen by nearly 50%—almost £2billion less metal products and manufactured goods were exported in 2017 than 2013. With the uncertainty surrounding the UK’s departure from the EU, there may be even more pressures placed on the North East’s exports in the near future.
The Tories are not doing enough to support the North East. On the other hand, Labour will work to bring forward an integrated trade and industrial strategy that boosts exports, investment and decent jobs in the North East. Labour will also use the full range of export credit, finance, insurance and trade promotion tools to boost British exports and support priority industrial sectors.