## Company Profile Go Exporting is a boutique UK-based export consultancy founded in 2018 by Mike Wilson. The firm operates as an SME export advisory business, providing international sales support, distributor search and vetting, and market entry strategy for UK companies looking to expand overseas. Their typical client base is UK food, drink, and consumer goods SMEs seeking guidance on identifying the right overseas distributors/importers, navigating trade compliance, and structuring viable export business models. Go Exporting is positioned as a practical, hands-on alternative to large trade agencies, filling the gap left by overstretched government trade services (DBT/DIT). Scale appears to be a small specialist consultancy (likely founder-led with a small team), serving multiple UK SME clients simultaneously across different product categories and target markets. ## Pain Points 1. DISTRIBUTOR DISCOVERY WITHOUT LIVE DATA: Go Exporting's core deliverable to clients is identifying and shortlisting credible overseas distributors/importers by country and category. Currently, consultants rely on proprietary networks, trade shows, and ad-hoc sources — there is no structured, real-time database of verified global buyers and distributors for agri-food. Tridge's global buyer/supplier network and trade flow data directly solves this bottleneck, enabling faster and more defensible distributor shortlists. 2. MARKET SELECTION WITHOUT PRICE & VOLUME INTELLIGENCE: Go Exporting must advise SME clients on which markets to prioritise — a decision that hinges on landed cost modeling, volume potential, and competitive intensity. In 2024, UK agri-food exports fell -9.5% by volume and -6.1% by value, but 2025 shows a recovery (+6.8% value, +7.2% volume). Markets like Asia (China pork ~£80m, Vietnam seafood) and the Gulf (UAE food exports +2.4%) are emerging — but Go Exporting's consultants need live commodity price and trade flow data to build these cases credibly for clients. Without it, recommendations risk being outdated or anecdotal. 3. POLICY COMPLEXITY LAYERED ON TOP OF COMMERCIAL WORK: The UK-EU SPS deal (May 2025), Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act 2024, and 40+ barrier removals all changed the export opportunity map for UK food SMEs dramatically in the past 18 months. Go Exporting's advisers need to stay ahead of these shifts to counsel clients correctly — but monitoring regulatory and trade flow changes across multiple markets manually is time-consuming and error-prone. Tridge's market intelligence layer (tariff changes, origin shifts, supply disruption signals) gives consultants a continuously updated intelligence feed they can incorporate directly into client work. ## Intel Summary === MULTI-DIMENSION RESEARCH === === 1. PROBLEM FRAMING — SME EXPORT CONSULTANCY PAIN POINTS (DISTRIBUTOR SEARCH / MARKET ENTRY, AGRI‑FOOD, UK) === Below I synthesise recent UK‑ and EU‑facing evidence on SME agri‑food exporters plus more generic SME export pain‑point work; there is very little that exactly matches your full query string, so some inference is required (I'll call that out). **1.1 Structural barriers for UK agri‑food SMEs after Brexit** - AHDB analysis of UK–EU agri‑food trade notes that **non‑tariff measures (NTMs) have added ~5–8% to costs for livestock products and 2–5% for plant products** when exporting to the EU. Groupage and paperwork complexity are highlighted as **disproportionately impacting SMEs** which often rely on mixed pallets and do not have in‑house compliance teams. ([ahdb.org.uk](https://ahdb.org.uk/news/uk-eu-trade-summit-presents-opportunity-for-agri-food-exports)) - The Agriculture in the UK 2024 report shows that by 2024, total food/feed/drink export volume fell to **10.8m tonnes, down 9.5% year‑on‑year**, continuing a mildly downward trend through the decade. While this is macro, it reflects aggregate pressure on exporters, particularly smaller ones who have been more likely to exit exporting or reduce EU exposure. ([gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/agriculture-in-the-united-kingdom-2024/chapter-13-overseas-trade)) **1.2 Generic UK SME export constraints** Export Partners UK's 2025 submission highlights: access to buyers and distributors (SMEs "have little or no market intelligence"), fragmented support landscape, working capital and risk, and capability gaps in regulatory compliance and contract negotiation. **1.3 Specific pain points in distributor / importer search** - UK government commentary: over 40 trade barriers removed in 2025, unlocking nearly £100m in additional food and drink export opportunities (pork to China, beetroot to US). ([gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/trade-barrier-busters-deliver-nearly-100m-boost-for-british-food-and-drink)) - Core distributor search gaps: no structured access to country/category distributor lists with performance metrics; consultants build proprietary networks because public data is weak. === 2. MARKET EVENTS — UK AGRI‑FOOD EXPORT TRADE POLICY DISRUPTIONS & TARIFFS (2024–2025) === - **UK–EU SPS agreement (May 2025)**: Removes most checks on agri‑food trade, adding ~£9bn to UK GDP, reducing friction for dairy, fish, eggs, potatoes, red meat exports. Reverses 2024 SPS check introduction. ([reddit.com/r/uknews](https://www.reddit.com/r/uknews/comments/1l0r5im), [reddit.com/r/europe](https://www.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/1kq9wkq)) - **Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act 2024**: Bans live cattle/sheep/pig exports from GB for slaughter/fattening, forcing shift to chilled/frozen meat exports. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_Welfare_%28Livestock_Exports%29_Act_2024)) - **40+ trade barriers removed 2024–2025**: Including Chinese pork (~£80m), US beetroot access, Asian seafood markets. ([gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/trade-barrier-busters-deliver-nearly-100m-boost-for-british-food-and-drink)) - **Australia–UK FTA**: In force since 2023, phasing in tariff changes; UK SME utilisation remains low due to complexity. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia%E2%80%93United_Kingdom_Free_Trade_Agreement)) - **UK tariff suspensions (April 2025)**: Suspended import tariffs on products UK doesn't produce domestically, easing input costs. UKEF support expanded by £20bn to £80bn. ([reddit.com/r/europe](https://www.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/1jyue6k)) === 3. DEMAND SIGNALS — UK FOOD & AGRICULTURAL EXPORT VOLUME TRENDS & NEW MARKET OPPORTUNITIES (2024–2025) === - **2024 weak, 2025 recovering**: Total UK food/drink export volume -9.5% in 2024 (10.8m tonnes); H1 2024 export values -6.1% to £11.2bn. But H1 2025 rebounded: £12.4bn (+6.8% value, +7.2% volume). ([gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/agriculture-in-the-united-kingdom-2024/chapter-13-overseas-trade); [fdf.org.uk H1 2025](https://www.fdf.org.uk/fdf/resources/publications/trade-reports/trade-snapshot-h1-2025/)) - **EU still 61.8% of export value** but volumes to EU down 25%+ since 2017; non-EU growing. 2025 SPS deal likely to stabilise EU volumes. - **Dairy**: Most UK dairy export categories grew in Q4 2025 vs Q4 2024, led by milk and cream. ([ahdb.org.uk](https://ahdb.org.uk/news/q4-2025-dairy-trade-review-exports-in-growth)) - **Seafood**: Record 2024 year, +13% by value; France nearly half of export value; Asian markets opening (Vietnam ~£4m). ([amivetexports.co.uk](https://www.amivetexports.co.uk/latest/blog-11/)) - **Premium food and drink**: UAE food/drink exports +2.4% in H1 2024 to £202m; strong GCC growth for British brands. - **Whisky**: Down 9% in 2024 to £5.5bn but English whisky expanding to 35+ markets, 40% exported, 89% to EU. - **Key growth markets identified**: EU (post-SPS deal), China (pork), Vietnam/ASEAN (seafood), UAE/GCC (premium grocery).