Communities and Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid is in the US and Canada this week leading the first-ever Midlands Engine Trade Mission to show North American businesses how investing in the region could put them in the fast lane for growth.

Britain is open for business and the government is determined to strengthen Britain’s relationships with countries around the world to help businesses in the Midlands, and across the country, to flourish.

Mr Javid has brought some of the region’s top business executives and is showcasing the Midlands Engine to an international audience to make sure that the cities of the Midlands become the go-to destination for foreign investment.

The Midlands has a strong track record of doing business with North America – between 2010 and 2015 exports from the Midlands to the US rose by 55% and, exports from the Midlands to Canada rose by more than 11%.

Sajid Javid said:

“For the first time ever we are bringing the Midlands Engine to the world stage.

These aren’t just warm words – over the next 15 years, we plan to generate an additional £34 billion for the Midlands economy.

And with exports from the Midlands to both the US and Canada up significantly over the past five years, we have a strong record to build on.”