<p>UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) has recently started to measure trade growth value (TGV) to record cases where an enterprise has progressed overseas business opportunities to the point of successfully winning contracts. During financial year 2013-14 West Midlands small and medium-sized enterprises completed TGV forms totalling £8.19 million from 25 companies; however none of these were in North Herefordshire.</p><p>There has been a significant increase in exports in the West Midlands in the last 18 months. Exports reached over £6.5 billion between 1 April 2013 and 30 June 2013, according to statistics published on 5 September 2013 by HM Revenue and Customs. Compared to the previous quarter, exports from the West Midlands increased by 6.5%, the highest growth of all English regions. Compared with the same quarter in 2012, the growth was 18%âequating to more than £1 billion more exports from the region and to date in 2013/14 has supported 182 with the aim of supporting 350 by the end of the year.</p>