Government policy generally takes time to see noticeable effects and so can be said of this government's attempts to kick-start the UK economy by growing exports to a target of £1 trillion by 2020.

Traditionally Europe has been the UK's largest export market – in 2002, nearly two thirds (61%) of all UK exports went to some of our nearest neighbours. Exports as a whole dipped in 2008 as the financial crisis deepened, with output in many sectors grinding to a halt under challenging market conditions and a lack of capital flows.