Trade between Slovenia and the UK remains brisk despite obstacles that are the result of Brexit. Britain remains an attractive destination for Slovenian companies due to its openness to innovation, premium prices, a large market, connections with the rest of the world, and a reliable business environment.

These were some of the points raised at a business event on 30 March organised by the British-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and the Spirit Slovenia investment promotion agency to present business in the UK market and to discuss how to successfully enter the market after Brexit.

"The UK is a country of great opportunities, but it is a large and discerning market so the help of reliable partners in entering it is very valuable," said acting director of Spirit Slovenia Rok Capl.

Capl noted the activities of the agency in this field and the cooperation with the British-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce in organising various events to strengthen cooperation between the companies of the two countries.

He said that as many as 800 Slovenian companies were exporting to the UK and that there were more than 330 companies with British capital in Slovenia.

British Ambassador Tiffany Sadler said the goal was to further strengthen bilateral economic cooperation and that she was happy that business was booming and that bilateral trade in 2021 was the highest ever.

The ambassador noted that there were many British companies that had successfully invested in Slovenia, and vice versa, which both countries could build on, adding that many Slovenian companies relied on British products in their supply chains. One such company is the sports equipment maker Elan.

Sadler said that there was still a lot of potential for cooperation in various fields, and urged Slovenian entrepreneurs to think of the UK when investing or when looking for resources for their business.

Chris Barton, His Majesty's Trade Commissioner for Europe, added that while the last three years had been a major challenge for the UK due to Brexit, the Covid pandemic and the Ukraine crisis, business with the EU member states was growing again.

The numbers are exceptional and this is a solid basis for further growth, said Barton.

Data by the Slovenian Statistics Office show overall trade dropped by about a tenth 2022, but whereas imports from the UK dropped, exports rose by ten percent.