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It鈥檚 been more than 30 years since I started my first publishing business: writing, editing and publishing a local 鈥榳hat鈥檚 on鈥� guide, based in my university digs, when I was supposed to be studying for my degree. And I must say 鈥� time well spent.

I鈥檓 sure a lot鈥檚 changed since then 鈥� you鈥檒l know better than me! But I鈥檓 really pleased to see our industry going from strength to strength.

And that鈥檚 not just a personal thing. Trade is a real priority for this government: for the first time in this country鈥檚 history, we鈥檝e got a department solely devoted to increasing our international trade.

Don鈥檛 forget that Brexit cuts across hundreds of policy areas: but only one of them got a brand new, permanent department. One need only glance at the papers to see how far trade has moved up the political agenda.

It is right that it is a priority 鈥� trade and investment matter to our economy. We exported well over 拢600 billion last year; we鈥檙e now the world鈥檚 fourth largest exporting nation, after overtaking France and Japan; we鈥檝e got 拢2.4 trillion of British money invested abroad or foreign money invested here.

The government wants to build on that, which is why we鈥檙e creating a new Export Strategy 鈥� led by Rona Fairhead, who also used to work in publishing, and I believe talked at your event at the London Book Fair in March.

The UK鈥檚 comparative advantage in publishing

Trade is all about playing to your strengths: it鈥檚 called comparative advantage for a reason.

And publishing is an area of strength for Britain.

Our language is an advantage. Speaking the world鈥檚 language is naturally going to help us publish to the world.

Our researchers are an advantage. There鈥檚 a reason why we鈥檙e home to 10% of the world鈥檚 academic publishers, with 拢1.1 billion of international revenue.

It鈥檚 because we have one of the world鈥檚 best science bases, and some of the best universities: according to Times Higher Education, for 7 years in a row the 10 highest-rated universities, as ranked by fellow academics, were all in either the UK or the US.

That鈥檚 something the government wants to support further: in the Industrial Strategy we committed to increasing R&D spending to 3% of GDP, which would put us in the top quartile of OECD countries.

Our intellectual property regime is an advantage. Your work is world-class. But you need to get paid for it.

Fortunately, Britain boasts one of the world鈥檚 most robust intellectual property regimes, and the Creative Industries Sector Deal included 拢2 million to educate consumers on the value of copyright.

And 鈥� let鈥檚 not underestimate this 鈥� there鈥檚 the cultural factor. Publishers know how to export, because you already export a lot 鈥� I believe 57% of your revenues come from exporting, which is impressive.

So when it comes to exporting, you start from a strong position 鈥� and the government is helping secure that position.

Government help for publishing exports

But this isn鈥檛 just about setting the right background conditions. The government is also committed to directly helping you export.

Over the past 4 years, the Department for International Trade and its predecessors have had a significant presence at the annual London Book Fair, including meetings with targeted buyers from China, India, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, USA and the UAE.

And our Tradeshow Access Programme is helping UK publishers to attend other major international trade fairs.

This year, from April 2018 to March 2019, there will be UK groups, managed by the Publishers鈥� Association, at the Bologna Children鈥檚 Book Fair, the Shanghai International Children鈥檚 Book Fair, the New York Rights Fair, the Beijing International Book Fair and the Frankfurt Book Fair.

And you鈥檒l be helped by our efforts to promote exporting more widely.

The Export Strategy

I can鈥檛 give you every detail on the Export Strategy 鈥� like any good book, you鈥檒l have to wait until it comes out.

But let me give you some teasers 鈥� or spoilers, if you like 鈥� and a flavour of what we鈥檙e already doing.

We will put finance at the heart of our offer: UK Export Finance, the world鈥檚 oldest export credit agency, can provide insurance or credit to help you export. It can now already provide over 拢50 billion in support, in over 60 different currencies.

As part of our export strategy, we鈥檒l be doing a full review of the UK Export Finance product suite.

We鈥檒l be encouraging the uptake of Export Finance support 鈥� too many people don鈥檛 know about it. And we鈥檒l be especially focussing on SME鈥檚 and on companies down the supply chain 鈥� those who don鈥檛 export themselves, but who supply to companies that do.

And finance is far from the end. We鈥檒l be making sure that companies have the right practical and promotional support, too 鈥� this is a comprehensive strategy, using all the tools at our disposal.

People often think of the Department for International Trade as a purely 鈥楤rexit department鈥�.

Well, aside from UK Export Finance, which is nearly 100 years old in one form or another, we have a network of trade advisers in 108 countries across the world.

So if any of you are looking at expanding into a new market: my department can give you the local knowledge you need, connecting you with local opportunities and helping you understand local business practices.

Our Export Strategy is also going to stick to some important principles.

One of these is that it must be for business, and led by business.

Another is what we call 鈥榥o wrong door鈥� principle. Government can be complex 鈥� sometimes that鈥檚 unavoidable. But that doesn鈥檛 mean dealing with us should be complex.

The support you get should be seamless 鈥� you shouldn鈥檛 have to understand our internal structure to work with us, anymore than you鈥檇 expect that of your own customers.

Future trade policy

Now, the Export Strategy does not exhaust our trade policy. There is, of course, the small matter of Brexit and of trade agreements outside the Customs Union.

Let me say first that we will be transitioning the EU鈥檚 existing free trade agreements, and that we鈥檙e taking through the House of Commons right now a Trade Bill that will give us the powers we need to do that.

But we will also be looking to sign new trade agreements. That is one of the great opportunities we will have, once we have left the Customs Union: the IMF estimates that 90% of global growth in the next 10 to 15 years is going to come from outside the EU.

We are currently barred from negotiating trade agreements under the EU duty of sincere cooperation. But we are laying the ground 鈥� and the signs have been positive.

As you鈥檇 expect, we take a holistic approach to prioritising them, and it requires judgment 鈥� there鈥檚 no algorithm. But we take into account things like the size of the economy, how easily we could reach an agreement, and how compatible our economies are.

We have set up working groups covering 21 countries, and myself and other ministers in my department have made over 160 overseas visits.

And we鈥檝e had a good reception. To quote the Prime Minister of New Zealand: 鈥淲e are here, ready and waiting鈥�when you are ready we are.鈥�

I know the US is one of your biggest markets. Well, here鈥檚 US Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin: 鈥淎s soon as the UK is ready we will be prepared to negotiate an attractive trade deal鈥�.

You can鈥檛 put it clearer than that.

So, I do think we will get trade agreements that will allow us to maintain and extend your overseas markets. But before I finish, I鈥檇 like to emphasise how important it is for me to hear from you and what you have to say. There鈥檚 a reason why a key principle of the Export Strategy is designing it around the needs of business 鈥� it鈥檚 because the Department for International Trade exists, ultimately, for you.

The government doesn鈥檛 trade, businesses trade 鈥� my job is simply to facilitate you trading, and I can only do that effectively if I know the barriers you face.