The U.K. is bucking the trend as Europe bleeds foreign direct investment. Here’s why

12 comments

1. 2.1 Value of UK total trade in the 12 months to the end of March 2024

   £1,746.6 billion

   down 2.8% on the previous 12 months

   Source: ONS UK trade March 2024

   Next release: 12 June 2024

   Notes: figures in current prices, seasonally adjusted, on a balance of payments basis. Figures include non-monetary gold and other precious metals.

   2.2 UK trade in 12 months to the end of March 2024
   Trade direction Value £ billion % change since previous 12 months

   UK exports 859.6 -2.0%
   UK imports 887.0 -3.6%

   https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-trade-in-numbers/uk-trade-in-numbers-web-version

2. The sheer lack of engagement on this post is right on brand for this sub 🤣

3. Not exactly a detailed here’s why. Lower Financial Regulation and Loyal Software customer base seems to be the extent of it. Perhaps it is also our willingness to sell everything off and generally act as a low regulation tax haven for non doms. Sure it’s quite good news but not exactly going to stoke the fires of undying gratitude for the average voter.

4. Extract from the article below, interesting article overall.

   Low engagement as it’s a good news story and the usual suspects cannot say ‘Brexit Bad’

   ‘In contrast, the U.K. bucked the trend, with a 6% FDI growth in 2023—although it remained significantly below pre-Brexit levels. After a 2022 marked by political uncertainty, high inflation, and rising energy prices, investors perceived something of a return to stability in U.K. markets. Foreign software and IT providers were particularly loyal to London, which moved above Paris into the top spot as Europe’s No. 1 investment region. London’s attractiveness to the finance sector also proved significant, with London seeing a 20% increase in financial services projects’

5. Is this not because we’re happy to completely sell off what were once state owned institutions like recently the Royal Mail and less recently our trains? Does that count as FDI? Us just selling off state property to foreign businesses and even other states in some cases?

6. shocker, people are less willing to invest in over regulated markets

7. Britain under brexit does better than countries still in the EU.

   Time for insult the UK bingo. lets see who goes with somehow its due to islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia or another phobia…..

8. “In contrast, the U.K. bucked the trend, with a 6% FDI growth in 2023—although it remained significantly below pre-Brexit levels. After a 2022 marked by political uncertainty, high inflation, and rising energy prices, investors perceived something of a return to stability in U.K. markets. Foreign software and IT providers were particularly loyal to London, which moved above Paris into the top spot as Europe’s No. 1 investment region. London’s attractiveness to the finance sector also proved significant, with London seeing a 20% increase in financial services projects.”

   Heading in the right direction which is good, but still well below pre-brexit levels unfortunately.

   Also all the growth described seems to centre on London, as per bloody usual the rest of country doesn’t get a look in.

   We have great potential but woefully underleveraged to date due to London centric policy making and national self-harms like Brexit.

9. “Unlocking Europe’s potential

   Despite a challenging landscape across Europe, there is cause for optimism. As well as looking at FDI numbers, we asked business leaders about their future plans, and 72% of them said they plan to expand or establish operations in Europe within the next year—up from 67% in 2022. This indicates that Europe is still a key territory in future business plans”

   It’s all about how you frame the article or even the theme of the article.

10. Foreign investment is going nowhere so long as London remains the number one place to money launder

11. OK, so the UK isn’t utterly shit… but we’re still not in a great state compared to the rest of Europe.

12. Thanks for posting a positive story (for uk)

    I’m surprised about energy costs in Germany. I remember when Tata were going to close a UK steel plant the spokesman said their elec bills were double compared to the German plant.