UK Permanent Virtual Exhibition and Business Directory

The United Kingdom (UK) comprises England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. During the 19th century, the British Empire covered approximately 25% of the Earth’s surface and was the world’s first industrialised nation. Today the UK is an important member of the EU and NATO and home to the third-largest economy in Europe.

While the UK economy has long since shifted to a service-oriented economy, myriad UK companies participate in a number of industries outside the services sector, including aircraft, apparel and footwear, automation equipment, chemicals, coal, electric power equipment, electronics and communications equipment, food processing, metals, motor vehicles and parts, paper and paper products, petroleum, railroad equipment, shipbuilding and textiles.

In response to the global economic downturn, the government of the UK took steps to stimulate the economy and stabilise the financial markets, including nationalising portions of the British banking system, reducing taxes, pushing forward public spending on capital projects and suspending public sector borrowing rules. Recently the government implemented a five-year austerity program designed to lower the country’s budget deficit to 1% of GDP by 2015.

Doing Business in the United Kingdom

The UK has recently seen the impact of the worldwide recession and during 2008 and 2009 the UK economy shrank by around 6% (Office of National Statistics). However, the Office of National Statistics figures show that, during the first two quarters of 2010, GDP grew and the country edged out of recession. During the recession, Foreign Direct Investment in the UK continued, emphasizing its importance as a destination for investment. Read Full Article

Investing in the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom (estimated 2010 GDP of $2.3 trillion) has the sixth-largest economy in the world, the third-largest economy in the European Union, and is a major international trading power. Read Full Article