Its survey found that almost half of exporters had seen overseas sales improve (45 per cent) versus just six per cent who said they had fallen.

Export activity grew particularly in the East Midlands, Northern Ireland and Yorkshire.

John Longworth, BCC director-general, said: “This is fantastic news – as boosting our international trade efforts are key to our long-term economic success.

“But there is still more the UK can do if it is to reach its full exporting potential. Our international trade survey published recently showed that less than half of the businesses have ambitions to grow overseas.

“I understand this to a degree, as I speak to businesses that have full order books here in the UK and don’t see why they would need to start selling abroad. This is why we need to transform the domestic mindset of those businesses by creating an environment that makes it worthwhile for them to export.”

For the Government to meet its export target of £1tn by 2020, it needs to focus on matching the levels of export support given by other governments and focusing this on key areas such as access to finance, Longworth said.

“As a nation we can and must do more if we are to remain competitive and stand a chance at rebalancing the UK economy for the long-term,” he added.

Is your business an export success story? Why not enter the Export Champion category at this year’s Growing Business Awards? The awards are free to enter and nominations close on the 19th September.

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