The South West is increasingly trading in goods with the EU despite Brexit uncertainty.
Figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show in 2018, the region traded £20.5billion worth of goods with EU countries - up on the £20.2billion in 2017 and £18.6billion in 2016.
Of the goods traded with the EU, £10.8billion were imports, while £9.7billion were exports.
The South West has also seen increasing trade with non-EU countries.
The value of goods traded rose from £22.7billion in 2016 to £25.0billion in 2017 and to £25.2billion in 2018.
However, the increase in trade with non-EU countries was 11 per cent since 2016, compared to a 10 per cent increase in trade with EU countries.
Nationally, the UK traded £433.0bn worth of goods with EU countries in 2018, making up 53 per cent of trade in goods.
Of this, £170.0billion was in exports - half of the total value of goods exported last year - and £263.0billion was imports.
UK trade in goods with non-EU countries was worth £388.3billion last year, of which £169.5billion was exports and £218.8billion was imports.
The figures come amid a further extension of the deadline for the UK leaving the EU.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson accepted the EU’s offer of an extension to the Brexit deadline to January 31.
Once the withdrawal agreement is ratified, the UK can open trade talks with the EU and other countries. The earliest this could happen is February 1.
At the moment, under the deal agreed by the former Prime Minister Theresa May, and followed by Johnson, the UK has until the end of December 2020 to conclude its future relationship negotiations.
If the withdrawal agreement isn’t ratified, or if a new trade deal isn’t struck with the EU by the end of 2020, and the transition period was not extended, trade between the UK and the EU would be done on world trade terms.
Trade rules would change from those of the EU – based on its single market and customs union – to those of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
Each member of the WTO must grant the same market access to all other members, except developing countries and those that have free trade agreements.
