International Trade Week runs from Monday 9th to Friday 13th November. It is a UK government-led programme for UK businesses.
A series of webinars, 1:1 sessions and tailored advice are on offer from many institutions and regional Chambers of Commerce. Giving the opportunity to business owners to unlock new markets, build export knowledge and get practical support to grow internationally.
The official Government 2026 programme includes three focus topics to look out for each day. Two of the programme highlights we’ve spotted are:
The Great British Pitch – Europe on Wednesday 11th November. You can pitch your products and services directly to international buyers in a virtual showcase, with the chance to win new customers, partners and contracts.
Export Action Planning on Friday 13 November. This online session 11:00–13:00 is a practical opportunity to build a clear export roadmap that helps you spot market opportunities and sharpen your international strategy.
The full timetable is below with the links to register and find out more, and don’t forget Business.gov.uk offers online support to UK businesses throughout the year with a programme of webinars and published papers.
You can also speak to one of our TPS team about going global, after all it is our area of expertise. Our MD Matt Smith is an appointed Export Champion to support and share his export experience.
The advice is for businesses of any size looking to trade overseas. So whether you are a first-time exporter or an established business already trading overseas. There is information and support to help your journey.
With all the information available it might be hard to choose the sessions relevant to your products, services and stage of development. So we’ve put together the following advice.
How to choose a useful session
Start by focusing on the next business decision you need to make. If you are investigating your first overseas customer you will need a different discussion from a business reviewing an established sales strategy.
Think about your challenge before browsing the programme. For example: “What information do we need before selecting a market?” or “Which specialist should we speak to about this product?”
This will make it easier to judge a session’s relevance, rather than registering for everything with “export” in the title. Which could be overwhelming and time consuming.
How to get the most from your session
Prepare a list of your business requirement prior to joining a workshop or attending a meeting. Just a simple one page document will help you focus on what’s important to you and take away the relevant content.
For example:
- What your business sells and who currently buys it.
- Which market or opportunity you want to understand.
- What you already know and what remains uncertain.
- One decision you want help progressing.
- Who will own the follow-up after the event.
Keep confidential customer or commercial information out of public discussion unless sharing it is appropriate. A group session can help identify questions, but it cannot automatically resolve every business’s contractual, tax or regulatory circumstances.
Use the Business Academy event directory and the partner programme alongside the main campaign page. Check whether an activity is online or in person and whether it requires a separate registration.
Find the upcoming timetable of events and register for them here
Ensure the sessions lead to actions
After a session, record what you learned, and which questions are still unanswered. Then where the next source of information or support can be found. Choose a realistic follow-up date with your team and use the knowledge/leads/recommended networks and organisations gained from the sessions to inform a business decision or build a sales strategy.
International Trade Week official programme 2026
Monday starts the week by thinking bigger
10:00am | Export Accelerator: Finding the right international market Discover a simple, data-driven way to identify and compare the right international markets for your business.
1:00pm | Untapped or underestimated? Africa’s opportunity for UK businesses Take a fresh look at the markets, sectors and opportunities waiting for UK businesses across Africa.
Explore opportunities in Africa →
3:00pm | Boundless ambition: A success story from Somerset to Singapore Hear the real-life story of how a UK brand took its ambitions from Somerset to international markets.
Tuesday the focus is Practical Advice for going global.
1:00pm | Top tips for understanding VAT in Europe Get practical guidance on VAT requirements when selling your goods or services into Europe.
Get to grips with European VAT →
2:00pm | Unlock US growth with Amazon: A practical guide for UK exporters Explore how to launch or grow your business in the US through Amazon.
4:00pm | Going global in Canada Discover how to research the Canadian market, find your route in and connect with potential buyers.
Explore opportunities in Canada →
Wednesday focus is making international trade work smarter
11:00am | Commodity codes 101: Why customs classification matters more than you think Understand commodity codes and why getting them right matters for duties, VAT and compliance.
Get confident with commodity codes →
2:00pm | Outward and inward processing: How to reduce duty liability Discover how these customs procedures could help reduce duty costs and improve cash flow.
Discover how to reduce duty liability →
3:00pm | Beyond the headlines: The LATAC mythbusters session Challenge the myths and discover the commercial opportunities across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Discover LATAC opportunities →
Thursday learn about new ways to grow overseas
1:00pm | Cross-border eCommerce in Europe: How UK brands can scale through Poland Discover how Poland could become your gateway to the €55 billion Central and Eastern European e-commerce market.
Explore e-commerce in Poland →
2:00pm | The authority engine: How to become the only choice on LinkedIn Learn how to build authority and turn your LinkedIn visibility into commercial opportunities.
3:00pm | Understand preferential origin: Unlock new markets and reduce import duties with Free Trade Agreements Learn how preferential origin and Free Trade Agreements could help you reduce duties and access new markets.
Make more of Free Trade Agreements →
Friday finish the week by looking to the future
10:00am | Eight things I wish I’d known before launching in the UAE Explore the opportunities and challenges that UK businesses are most likely to encounter when entering the market.
12:00pm | Digital trade accelerator launch: Five steps to grow your exports and trade smarter Discover five practical steps to use digital tools and emerging technologies to trade smarter.
3:00pm | Opportunities in consumer and retail in North America Explore market-entry strategies and opportunities for UK consumer brands across the US and Canada.
The British Chamber of Commerce is also offering a comprehensive plan of online events check out their programme here