BURY exporters are now being called to enter the 2001 "Trade Partners UK International Business Awards".

The competition, which aims to encourage and recognise the very best of British export, is the result of a joint initiative between the DTI's Trade Partners UK and Nexus Business Communications.

Despite the current Euro-Sterling exchange rate, which has put pressure on overseas trading, UK manufacturing exports grew by 11.8 per cent last year.

According to the DTI, British companies last year earned £230 billion from selling their products and services abroad.

That is more than the combined GDP of Denmark, Ireland and Portugal in the previous year, 1999.

The Trade Partners UK International Business Awards will be held in London in December and are sponsored by HSBC, Euler Trade Indemnity and supported by Kompass, CBI, BEXA and Dun and Bradstreet.

To register an entry and for more details about the awards, which embrace 13 specific categories, please contact Celine Peacock on 01322 660070.