I continue working with the Crowborough, Hailsham and Heathfield Chambers of Commerce and meet their representatives regularly to discuss what more can be done to support our local entrepreneurs. In April, I was delighted to join the then Crowborough Mayor Cllr Matthew Street and Crowborough and District Chamber of Commerce President Louise Harrington in opening the annual Crowborough Business Expo. This year, it brought together a diverse range of local service providers, charities and businesses of all sizes, old and new, for an opportunity to promote their work to the local community, network and connect with potential customers. It was great to see so many local companies and charities getting involved, many of whom I’ve been working with closely for years.
I’m always amazed by the expertise of our local businesses, who not only supply domestically, but also export their unique products overseas and contribute a great deal to international markets and advanced manufacturing supply chain. At the Business Expo, there were over 35 businesses present, many of whom spoke to me or have been in touch since to share concerns about the recent announcement by President Trump’s administration to impose a new tariff regime on UK-made products.
I know from casework and in-person meetings and surgeries that this issue is hugely important and worrying to our local businesses, for many of whom the United States is a key export market. I appreciate that the situation is fluid and that since the initial announcement, the imposition of these tariffs has been paused and a new trade agreement between the UK and the US has been announced on 8 May 2025, unlocking benefits for our steelmakers and car manufacturers.
There are some great products made by companies in Sussex Weald and trade deals provide exciting new opportunities, but I appreciate that without certainty, it is hard for local businesses to forecast. I continue to follow the matter closely and I am raising it with Ministers to ensure that the impact of the trade deal and the import tax duty on our local businesses is fully appreciated by the Department for Trade.
If you think that your business is going to be adversely impacted and are considering job losses as a result, please take a moment to let me know via a platform on my website: www.nusghani.org.uk/tariffs.