Department for Business and Trade launches Critical Imports and Supply Chain Strategy

In response to increased geopolitical disruption, and the unprecedented challenges of recent years, like the Covid pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and environmental disasters, the UK Government and businesses have boosted their ability to manage supply chain shocks. This strategy builds on this and will further equip UK businesses to deal with global supply chain problems and access the imports they need which are essential to the functioning of the UK.  

Imported goods are vital to the UK's economy. They ensure lower prices, greater choice, and help businesses to be more productive. They enable innovation, drive growth, and are essential to the UK’s world-leading industries, from aerospace to life sciences.

Key points: 

1. Imports of critical goods for the NHS and UK manufacturing to be protected from global supply chain shocks, safeguarding business and consumers and boosting the economy. 

2. New Strategy forms key part of government work to back business and grow the economy, helping UK companies build strong and resilient supply chains for vital goods and avoid dependance on protectionist or coercive states. 

3. Cutting-edge research will be used to map the impacts of shocks on supply chains, such as those caused by the Covid pandemic and war in Ukraine and understand how the UK can secure the goods we need in the future. 

The Government will also attract international investment to projects like lithium mining in Cornwall to make the UK more self-sufficient in critical goods used in industries like electric vehicles production and clean energy.

Through the strategy, the Government will also identify the support UK business needs to connect with new suppliers in international markets, including through overseas networks in more than 100 countries. At the same time, the UK's expertise to support developing countries to build supply chains with new international markets, including the UK, will also be used.  

The strategy also sets out how the UK government will work with friends and international partners to solve supply chain challenges, through steps like the Atlantic Declaration. This partnership with the US includes negotiation of a new critical minerals agreement that will bolster the UK's vital supply chains and ensure the UK’s access to materials it needs for future technologies.

Read the full strategy here.