UK exporters showed limited signs of recovery in early 2026, with growth remaining uneven across businesses of different sizes, according to research from the British Chambers of Commerce.

The survey of more than 2,000 exporters found that 25% reported an increase in export orders, while 23% saw a decline and 52% reported no change. The figures marked a slight improvement on the final quarter of 2025, when 21% reported rising orders and 28% a fall.

However, performance varied significantly by company size. Among micro-exporters with fewer than 10 employees, only 18% reported increased orders, while 26% saw a decline. By contrast, 38% of large exporters with more than 250 staff recorded growth, with just 12% reporting a decrease.

The data suggests that smaller firms continue to face greater barriers to international trade, even before the impact of renewed geopolitical tensions is fully felt.

Export performance also remains well below pre-2019 levels. In the second quarter of 2018, 31% of firms reported rising export orders and only 14% reported a decline, highlighting the cumulative effect of Brexit, the pandemic and subsequent global disruptions.

William Bain, head of trade policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said the findings were concerning. “These results are disappointing, particularly as they were gathered before the latest Middle East tensions began to take effect,” he said.

He added that service sector exporters, which have driven much of the UK’s recent export growth, were also facing increasing pressure.

Bain called for stronger government support to help businesses trade internationally, particularly smaller firms. Measures should include simplifying export processes through greater digitisation, he said, alongside progress on trade agreements.

Priorities include improving UK-EU trade arrangements, particularly in food and drink, as well as advancing cooperation on energy markets and emissions schemes.

The findings underline the fragility of the UK’s export recovery, with growth still uneven and vulnerable to further global shocks.