The South West saw the biggest annual rise in trade with China in the last quarter of 2021 compared to the rest of the 海角视频, new research has found.

The China Britain Business Council (CBBC), an organisation that seeks to promote trade between the two nations, said goods worth 拢269m were exported from the region to the Asian country.

This reflected a 57% increase from the same period in 2020, and 78% up on pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

The biggest gains were recorded for markets such as power generating machinery - worth 拢88m, a near 300% year-on-year (YoY) rise - and metal ore, which grew by almost 470% YoY from 拢3.8m to 拢21.9m.

The report, which drew from government and ONS data, found there was a dip in the 鈥榞eneral industrial machinery鈥 market, the South West second-most valuable export to China, which fell from 拢36.5m to 拢27.8m over the year.

Nationally, the China Britain Business Council, which represents more than 400 businesses and organisations estimated that exports to China grew to 拢18.1bn in 2021.

According to the report all English regions except the East and Yorkshire and the Humber surpassed pre-pandemic trade levels in the final quarter.

Exports of essential goods to China (excluding crude oil and gold) were up 11% in 2021 YoY, compared to a much weaker recovery of comparable exports to the 海角视频鈥檚 other major trading partners - US (1.7%), EU (2%), Japan (1.7%).

Last year, Britain shipped 12.6% of its road vehicle exports, and 6.6% of its machinery and transport equipment exports to China. The CBBC said the first quarter of 2022 had seen overall exports slump to 拢4.9bn due to Covid-19 lockdowns in Shanghai and other Chinese cities.

It said experts believed this would only be a 鈥渟hort-term blip鈥, with country鈥檚 growing middle class - estimated by the Department for International Trade to reach 400 million in the coming decade - providing more opportunities for British businesses.

Andrew Seaton, chief executive of The CBBC, said: 鈥淲hile the past few months have been challenging, it鈥檚 encouraging to see that trading relationship going from strength to strength, with most 海角视频 regions reporting record export levels.

鈥淔or many firms, taking that first step into this market has proved a crucial life-line in tough economic times. For others it has led to transformational growth. The fact that exports to China surpassed pre-pandemic levels across the majority of 海角视频 regions and nations at the end of 2021 shows the importance of the Chinese market to our recovery.鈥

Exports of British goods to China have grown almost 500% over the past 15 years, making China the 海角视频鈥檚 third largest trading partner.

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