United Kingdom

The United Kingdom’s economy has a group of different sectors which have been evolving trough out time, registering a significant change in its industry structure for services.

In 2014, the industry sector represented about 19, 8% of the gross domestic product and amongst the industrial products dispatched to Portugal from the UK there were 11% of high, 17% of medium low and 41% of  low technologic intensity.

In the period between 2010/2014, according to the world trade organization, the average annual growth of the British good exports was of 5, 8% while the import average was of 4, 0%. Portugal was UK’s 35^th client and which represented 0, 4% of the total exported in 2014.

The five main groups of products exported are – machinery, mechanical equipment and parts of it, fuels, motor vehicles, pearls, stone and precious metals, coins and pharmaceutical products – represented about 53% of the total of sales to the exterior, made by the UK in 2014 (against 50% of the total in 2010).

The country is the main destination of Europes’foreign direct investment.

On one hand, the main investor countries in the UK, between 2014/2015 were: USA, France, India, China, Japan, Germany, Italy, Australia, Canada and Spain. On the other hand concerning the UK’s investment in external markets, it has been registering a decrease throughout the years, mainly after the beginning of the world economic crisis.

According to the data of the Bank of Portugal, between 2010/2014, the UK’s investment in Portugal, has registered its higher values in 2013 and 2014 (153 million Euros and nearly 152 million Euros).

Nowadays, any international company who wants to stablish itself in the UK, can count with governmental support to find a place with more competitive prices in strategical areas.