The E-Commerce Trade Commission (E-CTC) brings together the world’s leading e-commerce platforms including Amazon, Shopify and Etsy, working directly alongside the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). A report from the E-CTC found that selling overseas online can generate anywhere from an extra £100,000 to £950,000 in annual revenues a year for small businesses.

However, at its inaugural evidence session last month, small businesses voiced their concern that current resources and advice do not do enough to support growth via exporting online.

Key barriers cited included difficulty in getting through to real people for help and advice, and struggling to locate important information like how to obtain an Import One Stop Shop number, which is needed to show all VAT has been paid on products being sold into the EU.

The E-CTC was formed in June 2023 and is chaired by Marco Forgione, Director General at the Institute of Export & International Trade. Its aim is to encourage 70,000 more small British businesses to export online by 2025 and help boost the economy by £9.3bn by improving knowledge and understanding of how to trade internationally, and supporting Government with policy recommendations focused on addressing the barriers small firms currently face.

Marco Forgione, Chair of the E-Commerce Trade Commission and Director General of the Institute of Export & International Trade, wants the calls of small business owners to be heard: “Small business owners in the UK have told us that they are struggling to find the support they need. These are businesses which want to grow by expanding into new markets, and who want to take advantage of the new free trade deals the UK has been securing. Clear information and ease of access to educational support – both online and in-person– are crucial yet simple steps we can take to help our small businesses thrive.

“The UK’s small business sector is a source of immense pride for the country – we are a nation of entrepreneurs. Utilising e-commerce to sell the best of British goods around the world can boost small retailers’ revenue by hundreds of thousands of pounds. Britain’s small shops are the backbone of our high streets up and down the country and e-commerce can now help them unleash their international growth potential. I’m excited by the prospect of platforms and policymakers coming together to help our small firms achieve this.”