Businesses in Cumbria are calling on the government to provide a support package for the aviation sector and other exporters suffering due to the economic downturn brought on by Brexit and the Covid-19 global pandemic.

Figures by the British Chamber of Commerce show that UK export figures are down by 41 per cent, with a German-British Chamber of Industry and Commerce study also released this month highlighting similar issues.

Chamber Managing Director, Suzanne Caldwell, said: "We’ve heard from a number of businesses who have seen export volumes fall and are experiencing increased disruption through red tape and additional customs paperwork.

"This is a critical issue for SMEs in Cumbria.

"The challenges businesses are facing are absolutely not making it easier to trade or support exporters, quite the reverse."

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"The government needs to make it far easier and quicker for businesses to prove the necessary rules of origin.

"Exporters need to be supported with specific grants, otherwise there will be a significant impact, not just on them, but through their supply chains too.

"Not surprisingly, businesses have reported that taking part in webinars around dealing with these structural issues isn’t sufficient in quickening up the process. Businesses need more in depth practical support help to address these changes.

"There is some support available but it’s not enough.

"We would like to see the UK and the EU get back around the table to address the remaining structural problems in the UK-EU trade deal and focus on long term improvements to the flow of trade between them as soon as possible.”