In its latest annual report on UK business exporting behaviour, the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (DBIST) shows that the proportion of businesses currently exporting remained stable in 2025.
However, the report, which can be found here, also shows that, since 2021, there has been a downward trend in the proportion of businesses who have ever exported (45% in 2021 to 35% in 2025).
Most businesses (86%) said they had exported to the EU, consistent with 2024.
The main barriers to exporting to core markets highlighted by the nearly 3000 businesses contributing to the report were those relating to customs procedures and compliance regulations (53%) and administrative costs and regulations abroad (28%).
Among all businesses with a turnover of £500,000 or more, three-quarters (76%) had heard of free trade agreements (FTAs) but, given the Government’s emphasis on their benefits, it must be concerning that only 20% reported any knowledge of such agreements.
Businesses reported low confidence in how to trade through an FTA, the report notes, as well as a lack of information or support to access their benefits, indicating a clear need for further guidance.
Most exporters (75%) said that they were “passive” in their exporting behaviour, meaning that they responded to orders from other countries but did not actively target these customers. Almost a quarter (23%) said that they did actively target customers abroad, with both figures in line with 2024.
