United Kingdom
General
Information & Brief Economic Summary
Standards
U.S. Government
Contacts in UK
UK Government
Contacts
Trade Associations
and Other Key Contacts
Trade Event
Schedule
General Information & Brief
Economic Summary
The United Kingdom (UK) is the world's fourth largest
economy, and is a trading nation with a generally open market
and a "level playing field". The UK is a member of the European
Union (EU), but has not committed to signing up for the Euro.
It attracts U.S. exporters and investors as a place in which to
do business, because of the common language, similar legal
framework and business practices, and relatively low rates of
taxation and inflation. Once here, it is easy for American
firms to use the UK as a gateway to the rest of the EU. There
are very few sectors in which foreign ownership is limited, and
no restriction on the repatriation of capital and profit.
Within the EU, the British Government supports the rights of
any company registered in the UK, irrespective of the
nationality of its ultimate parent. The UK remains the United
States' largest European market and fourth largest market
worldwide.
Back to Top
Standards
The UK supports the use of ISO, EU and national standards,
with the higher standard superceding the lower as soon as it is
issued. Although industry-specific standards and approvals have
no legal standing, they are often accepted as an assurance of
Product quality if no relevant national standard exist. Such
acceptance, though, is invalidated when a national, EU or ISO
standard is adopted. Assistance in identifying applicable
foreign standards is available from the Standards Information
Service Center, National Institute of Standards and Technology,
and copies of the standards can be obtained from the American
National Standards Institute (ANSI). ANSI acts as an agent for
the British Standards Institution (BSI), which is the central
standards organization of the UK. Standards information can be
obtained from the British Standards Institution, 389 Chiswick
High Road, London W4 4AL, Tel 011 44 20 8996 9000; fax 011 44
20 8996 7400.
website: www.bsi-global.com
Information on UK standards is available from the American
National Standards Institute, Tel: (212) 642 4900, Fax: (212)
302 1286 and from the National Institute for Standards and
Technology (Gaithersburg, MD 20234), Tel: (301) 975 3058.
Back to Top
US Government Contacts In
UK
American Embassy
24/31 Grosvenor Square
London, WIA 1AE England
Tel: 011 44 20 7499 9000
Fax: 011 44 20 7491 4022
http://www.usembassy.org.uk
Address for U.S. mail:
American Embassy (London)
PSC 801
Box 27 (for Economic Section)
Box 33 (for Commercial Section)
Box 48 (for Agriculture)
Box 54 (for Defense)
FPO AE 09498
U.S. Commercial Service
Tel: 011 44 20 7408 8091
Fax: 011 44 20 7408 8020
Email: london.office.box@mail.doc.gov
http://www.usexports.co.uk
Economic Section
Tel: 011 44 20 7408 8011
Fax: 011 44 20 7408 8020
The International Marketing Center (IMC)
Tel: 011-44-171-409-2927
Fax: 011-44-171-495-2944
E-Mail: olondon@doc.gov
http://www.usembassy.org.uk/fcs
U.S. Department of Commerce
UK Desk Officer
Office of European Affairs
International Trade Administration
Room 3515
Washington, DC 20230
Tel: 202 482 3748
Fax: 202 482 2897
Export -Import Bank of the U.S.
Washington DC Office
811 Vermont Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20571
Tel: 202 565 3946
Fax: 202 565 3380
www.exim.gov
Back to Top
UK Government
Contacts
Department of Trade and Industry
1 Victoria Street
London SW1H OET
Tel: 011 44 20 7215 5000
Fax: 011 44 20 7222 0613
www.dti.gov.uk
General Inquiries
Trade Partners UK
Department of Trade & Industry
Kingsgate House
66-74 Victoria Street
London SW1E 6SN
Tel: 44 171 215 5000
Fax: 44 171 215 8000
www.tradepartners.gov.uk
Invest in Britain UK
Department of Trade and Industry
10-18 Victoria Street
London SW1H ONN
Tel: 011 44 20 7215 2501
Fax: 011 44 20 7215 8451
www.invest.uk.com
Embassy of Great Britain
3100 Massachusetts Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 462-1340
Fax: (202) 898 4255
Consumer Affairs Division 1A
Department of Trade and Industry
10-18 Victoria Street
London SW1H 0NN
Tel: 011 44 20 7215 0332
Fax: 011 44 20 7215 0315
Packaging and Labeling Requirements
HM Board of Customs and Excise
Tel: 011 44 20 7620 1313
Fax: 011 44 20 7865 4944
Customs and Rules/Regulations for the UK
Central Office of Information
Hercules Road
London SE1 7DU
Tel: 011-44-171-928-2345
Fax: 011-44-171-928-5037
Central Statistical Office
Great George Street
London SW1P 3AQ
Tel: 011 44 20 7270 3000
www.ons.gov.uk
Statistical Information
Back to Top
Trade Associations and Other
Key Contacts
American Chamber of Commerce in the UK
75 Brook Street
London W1Y 2EB, UK
Tel: 011-44-171-493-0381
Fax: 011-44-171-493-2394
Association of British Chambers of Commerce
9 Tufton Street
London SW1P 3QB
Tel: 011-44-171-565-2000
Fax: 011-44-171-565-2049
Automated Material Handling Systems Association
(AMHSA)
Hartley Mill, Hartley Wespall, Hook
Hampshire, RG27 0BQ
Tel: +44 1256 883822
Fax: +44 1256 883701
http://www.amhsa.co.uk
British American Business Inc.
75 Brook Street
London W1Y 2EB, UK
Tel: 011 44 20 7493 0381
Fax: 011 44 20 7493 2394
www.babinc.org
British American Chamber of Commerce
8 Staple Inn, Holborn
London WC1V 7QH
Tel: 011-44-171-404-6400
Fax: 011-44-171-404-6828
British Materials Handling Federation
6th Floor
The McLaren Building
35 Dale End
Birmingham B4 7LN
British Chambers of Commerce
1st Floor
65 Petty France
St. James Park
London SW1H9EU
Tel: 011 44 20 7654 5800
Fax: 011 44 20 7654 5819
www.britishchambers.org.uk
BMHF
http://www.bmhf.org.uk/
CILT
http://www.ciltuk.org.uk/pages/home
Confederation of British Industry (CBI)
Centre Point
103 New Oxford Street
London WC1A 1DU
Tel: 011 44 20 7379 7400
Fax: 011 44 20 7240 1578
www.cbi.org.uk
International Chamber of Commerce
12 Grosvenor Place
London SW1X 7HH
Tel: 011 44 20 7823 2811
Fax: 011 44 20 7235 5447
www.iccuk.net
Back to Top
Trade Event
Schedule
IMHX 2010
March 2-5, 2010
NEC Birmingham, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 01737 855605
Email:
info@imhxonline.com
www.imhx.biz
Back to Top
Source: US Department of Commerce.
*This guide is not a complete list of trade associations or
publications. We welcome any additions to this document. The
Material Handling Industry does not assume a legal liability or
responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of
the information contained herein. The listing of information
here does not reflect an endorsement of any of the particular
information by the Material Handling Industry.