Scotland Launches First All-Women Trade Mission to Spain Following UK-EU Deal

• The Scottish Chamber of Commerce and the Scotland Minister are leading an all-female trade mission to Spain
• The two-day mission seeks to advance investment opportunities and fortify business relationships

Today marks the start of the first all-female trade mission to Spain since the UK Prime Minister's recent UK-EU agreement, spearheaded by the Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC) and UK Government Minister for Scotland Kirsty McNeill.

The two-day visit will see 16 Scottish female entrepreneurs engage with Spanish business leaders, entrepreneurs, and politicians in both Madrid and Barcelona. The mission aims to strengthen trade ties, promote Brand Scotland, and attract Spanish investment into Scotland.

The initiative comes after the Scottish Government commissioned the Gender Export Gap Report, which found that if women-led businesses exported at the same rate as male-led ones, Scotland could increase trade by over £10 billion over two years. According to the report, turnover could rise by between £2.1 billion and £6.3 billion in a single year, with the numbers possibly doubling in two.

Minister McNeill made it clear that she wants the UK to lead the world in promoting gender diversity in international trade. She will also meet with Navantia UK, a Spanish-owned shipbuilding company that runs shipyards in Methil and Arnish, as part of the mission to talk about future plans for shipbuilding in Scotland.

Liz Cameron, CEO of Scottish Chambers, and other attendees plan to take advantage of the chance to close the gender export gap, increase exports, draw in foreign investment, and support Scotland's economic development.