How Northern Ireland businesses are turning export opportunities into business growth
Colin McCamley, Client Executive; Invest Northern Ireland engaging with Colin Williams, Creative Director of BAFTA award winning production house, Sixteen South
Expert support can lead to export success
Any business owner understands the ins and outs of running a business and the challenges that come with it. Today, businesses of all sizes are facing rising costs, higher wages, potential trade tariffs, and global competition. However, for companies and manufacturers in Northern Ireland, there are unique opportunities as well.
Invest Northern Ireland is an economic development agency on a mission to work with Northern Ireland businesses. They aim to accelerate economic growth by increasing external sales and innovation, creating high-quality jobs, boosting productivity and skills, growing inward investment, and reducing carbon emissions.
Under its Export to Grow initiative, the organisation is dedicated to helping local businesses grow in new export markets outside Northern Ireland. From its free Export Health Check to its export and capability development programmes and Business Information Centre, Invest NI’s expertise provides businesses with the skills and tools needed to turn export opportunities into growth plans.
When do you export outside Northern Ireland?
Many businesses will eventually weigh up whether to expand into an international market. Before exporting, consider the following key points.
Firstly, it is essential to establish whether your product or service can be sold to customers outside of Northern Ireland. Review any regulatory, compliance, and procedural issues that could affect your offering in your target market. You should also develop a structured plan to expand your sales outside of Northern Ireland. This plan should include a clear business strategy outlining how your business intends to sell internationally, along with an export plan. Such a plan can also benefit your partners, suppliers, investors, and banks by showing that you have conducted thorough research to begin your exporting journey.
It is important to conduct market research to understand your target consumers and assess if your business has the sufficient skillset and resources when it comes to mitigating risk management, enhancing supply chain resilience, addressing language barriers and so on. You will also need to consider the costs of exporting, which can be high, and include these in your plan.
Invest NI’s Export Health Check is a useful tool designed to assess your business’s readiness for exporting and takes only five minutes to complete, providing businesses with an export report outlining next steps.
The statistics highlighting the benefits of exporting speak for themselves. According to a study conducted by the Chartered Institute of Export and International Trade, 80pc of companies surveyed said that exporting was critical to their businesses' future, attributing this to boosting revenue, encouraging innovation, and improving productivity. In 2023, Northern Ireland businesses generated an estimated £33.3 billion in sales outside Northern Ireland, a 15.7pc increase from 2022 (NI Economics Trade Statistics, NISRA, 2024).
Northern Ireland’s unique competitive advantage
Did you know Northern Ireland has a competitive advantage over competitors? When the United Kingdom (UK) left the European Union (EU), Northern Ireland gained the unique advantage of dual market access. As part of the Windsor Framework, Northern Ireland can sell goods to both the EU and the British markets without the burden of customs declarations, tariffs, or regulatory compliance that others now face.
Northern Ireland’s unique market position gives businesses here unfettered access to markets in Britain and all 27 European Union member countries. This arrangement opens the door for manufacturing businesses in Northern Ireland to trade goods freely with both Britain and the EU, providing access to a market worth over £6 trillion.
Understanding dual market access is essential for Northern Ireland manufacturing businesses. For goods to travel freely to GB, they must be classified as Northern Ireland Qualifying Goods. This classification applies when local goods are in free circulation, meaning they are not subject to customs procedures or stored in an authorised temporary storage facility before being transferred from Northern Ireland to GB.
Dual market access is more than just a status. It offers Northern Ireland businesses a significant advantage, serving as a launchpad for new or expanded growth opportunities and providing a key chance to capitalise on. With this access, Northern Ireland companies can trade smoothly with both GB and EU countries, gaining a competitive edge through easier movement and streamlined supply chains, which will benefit them in the long term.
How to develop a Trade Action Plan
Once you’ve decided to sell outside Northern Ireland, having a Trade Action Plan will be highly beneficial. It will make you aware of the risks, costs, and overall approach you need to succeed in your new market. Invest NI recommends including the following points when developing your plan:
- clear business objectives (identify what you want to achieve)
- a measurable value proposition (why a consumer should buy your product or use your service)
- the market segments to target (including route to customers and a market entry plan)
- a pricing and promotional strategy for your target market
- consider additional resources needed, such as professional support, scope for future growth and so on
Once you have your Trade Action Plan, consider how you will measure your performance to ensure that they’re delivering against your objectives.
So, whether you’re preparing to export or seeking to learn more about dual market access, Invest NI’s expertise, advice, and guidance can provide you with the clarity and knowledge needed to take your business to the next level in new markets.
Get help to export and grow. Visit investni.com/export for more info.
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This article was originally published on the Belfast Telegraph website on Monday 10 November 2025.
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