Building Commonwealth trade ties through international conference hosted by WBD

Focusing on how West Yorkshire and the wider UK can enhance its trade links with the Commonwealth was at the top of the agenda for a conference held at the Leeds office of international law firm Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD).

The firm hosted guests representing a range of Commonwealth nations including India, Canada, Pakistan, and Nigeria for its Trade and Investment Opportunities in the Commonwealth conference, which was co-hosted by West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

The event aimed to reflect on the outcomes of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2024 held in Samoa in October, and how trade between West Yorkshire and the Commonwealth can grow.

Discussions were also held on how businesses can upskill commercial opportunities across the Commonwealth and highlight the connections of culture, education, and diasporic communities that call West Yorkshire home.

Alongside a welcome from Lord Mayor of Leeds, councillor Abigail Marshall Katung, attendees heard from speakers including the trade commissioner at London's Canadian High Commission Megan Wood, and Bradford's Pakistani Consul General, Zahid Jatoi.

James Love, partner from Womble Bond Dickinson said: 

"A common question we are asked from a lot of our clients is what they can do to continue building their trade potential not just regionally and nationally, but on a worldwide scale. Tapping into the wide-reaching and economically strong wells of the Commonwealth is a great way of highlighting how local businesses can make that mark on an international stage.

"It was a pleasure to welcome so many people to this conference, which was also particularly exciting as it’s the first time our Leeds office has hosted something of this nature. From the interesting discussions, it was clear that there is no 'one size fits all' approach.

"With so many flourishing sectors in the region like technology, healthcare and life sciences, and manufacturing overlapping with and having significant potential in these Commonwealth counties, events like this are crucial to helping raise awareness and make those in-roads which will help economies on both sides reap the benefits."

The 56 nations of the Commonwealth are among the UK’s largest and fastest-growing trading partners, with £83 billion exported to Commonwealth markets annually, around 10% of overall UK exports.

Alex Wright, international markets development manager at the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, said: 

"I am pleased to say that our conference on trade and investment opportunities between the Commonwealth and West Yorkshire was a resounding success. It was fascinating to explore new markets and discover that an impressive 45.5% of the UK's exports to Nigeria last year originated from Yorkshire & Humber—a testament to the region's global reach and an example of the importance of events like this to build on those successes.

"A positive atmosphere and strong spirit of collaboration ran throughout the event, as we witnessed businesses and stakeholders come together to drive international growth. A big thank you to Womble Bond Dickinson for hosting us and for their unwavering support in helping businesses export and expand internationally. We look forward to future collaborations."

Lord Mayor of Leeds, councillor Abigail Marshall Katung, said: 

“The strength of our city and a driver of its success is its diversity, vibrancy, and people. Forging closer links with our Commonwealth partners is a great opportunity to build on that diversity, create new ideas and investment opportunities and succeed together.”