Mersey Maritime is co-hosting the virtual global trade summit with Western Union and Maritime UK, which will feature trade minister Graham Stuart, and you can submit questions. Tony McDonough reports

Businesses in the Liverpool city region and across the UK have submitted questions to a UK Government trade minister ahead of a virtual global trade summit.

Mersey Maritime, which represents the city region’s £4bn maritime sector, is co-hosting the  Global Trade and Maritime Virtual Summit with Western Union Business Solutions and Maritime UK, on Tuesday, June 9.

It is the first of a three-part series of events looking at the impact of COVID-19 on international trade. UK Department for International Trade’s Minister for Exports, Graham Stuart will speak along with Western Union chief executive Hikmet Ersek.

Chris Shirling-Rooke, chief executive of Mersey Maritime, said they were keen to hear questions from business owners across the city region, particularly on issues relating to international trade and the UK’s recovery from the coronavirus crisis.

He added: “We are in the midst of a once-in-a-generation event that is impacting every country on the planet. We face massive economic challenges in the coming months but I also believe there will be huge opportunities for businesses to innovate and grow.

“This summit offers an opportunity to hear direct from Government about its plans to facilitate our economic recovery. Key issues include what additional support will be available for businesses, how can we boost exports and what benefits can freeports offer the Liverpool city region?

“We didn’t just want to see questions from maritime businesses, we wanted to see questions from businesses across all sectors. This is a great chance for people to address the Government directly. We have had some amazing questions from all over the UK.”

The seminar will also include a presentation from Oxford Economics who will offer their economic outlook, followed by a panel discussion. You can sign up for the event by clicking here.