West Midlands outstrips the national average for exporting
New figures from the government show that the West Midlands outstrips the national average for exporting. According to HMRC, the region posted a 7.6% rise to £33.7 billion in its exporting activity for the year ended March 2018, compared to the national average of 6.5% growth in exports of goods across England.
HMRC’s research shows that during the first quarter of 2018, the West Midlands was home to more than 9,680 exporters, an increase of 2.5% year on year. Other interesting statistics from this report include:
• The largest export sector was machinery and transport, amounting to £6.4 billion in Q1 of 2018. This is 72% of the £8.8 billion in total exports for the region during this quarter.
• The largest market by region for the West Midlands is the EU at £3.9 billion and by country it is North America at £2 billion.
Ever increasing demand for technical translations
Demand for technical translations is keeping track with this growth and Comtec, a translation service provider located in the West Midlands, is supporting many exporting businesses in the region. Comtec’s expertise in technical translations, specialist linguists, and the ability to handle all file formats, including artworking files, is helping their clients reach customers in the EU and further afield.
Sophie Howe, Managing Director at Comtec Translations, said: “Supporting our local multinational companies here in the West Midlands is always very rewarding. The encouraging figures from HMRC confirm trends we’ve noticed in demand for technical translations, with many clients in manufacturing and the automotive industries exporting overseas, well beyond the EU.”
Recent industry events such as Automechanika 2018, held at Birmingham NEC this month also reflect how the West Midlands is home to a dynamic and global manufacturing sector. Exhibitions like these are a great opportunity to engage with customers from different geographic markets and grow exports.
Sophie Howe says, “I visited Automechanika this year to meet clients and prospects in the automotive sector. These international events are a really important part of any company’s global export strategy, and showcase innovation in the region. I was delighted to see that many exhibitors and even attendees had translated content available to share with customers from their target markets.”
The automotive and manufacturing industries produce a lot of material that requires technical translation for international markets. From technical documents and specifications to product marketing information and websites, it’s important to ensure that the brand value proposition is communicated effectively whatever the locale.
Sophie adds, “Building a strong partnership with a translation service provider will help your company increase outreach and significantly improve time-to-market, and this is clearly an approach that many companies in the West Midlands buy into.”
Comtec have produced a guide for businesses looking to translate technical content for export markets - Translation Guide: Technical Marketing Material. This can be downloaded from their website for free (https://www.comtectranslations.co.uk/downloads/translation-guide-technical-marketing-material3/) or by contacting Comtec directly.
About Comtec
An award-winning translation agency, Comtec provides fast, accurate and high-quality translations in over 200 languages. We’re the trusted language partner for many leading companies who call on our expert knowledge of international business and languages to help them expand into new markets overseas.
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E - info@comtectranslations.com
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