A group of firms from the Bath area are hoping to secure lucrative business deals by taking part in the city’s first virtual trade missions to Mexico and Chile.
Organised by the Department for International Trade (DIT) and led by Sarah Hildersley, DIT’s market specialist for Latin America in the region, the missions include briefing sessions with market experts and sector specialists and tailored one-to-one meetings. 
The aim – at a time when the coronavirus pandemic is preventing physical travel to potential export markets – is to accelerate business discussions virtually develop links and to generate sales.
The programme is worth £2,500 to each company and, without travel costs and time taken to travel to these markets, there are additional savings.
Among the firms taking part are Ston Easton-based Coltraco Ultrasonics, which designs and manufactures ultrasonics safety equipment, Kiddimoto Design, which is based at Westbury sub Mendip, near Wells, and produces children’s bikes, scooters, ride-ons and accessories, pictured, and Frome-based cidermaker Lilley’s.
Representatives from the Mexico UK Business Council and British Chamber of Commerce in Chile will attend the virtual missions along with international trade advisors from DIT and Business West to give the businesses from across the South West key advice on entering the markets.
Both Mexico and Chile are seen as key growth markets for West of England firms. Total UK exports to Mexico were £2.5bn in the year to the end of March while total trade in goods and services between Chile and the UK for the year ending June 2019 was worth £2.2bn, a 10.7% increase on the same period in 2018.
Coltraco Ultrasonics already exports its pioneering world-leading safety equipment to more than 120 countries through a network of distributors and is now looking at Latin America to develop the network further.
Kiddimoto also already exports and plans to offer its white label design and manufacture service to major brands in the region.
Lilley’s, which is taking part in just the Chile mission, believes the country could develop a taste for its range of fruit drinks and sparkling traditional ciders. The firm, which was launched in 2007 and supplies around 5,000 UK outlets, has been targeting exports for the past two years using bag-in-box and key kegs as well as bottles.
More information on the virtual trade missions can be found at https://www.businesswest.co.uk/virtual-business-forums
