Whether dealing with the Far East, South America or Eastern Europe, some key considerations need to be taken into account. Our industry has to be discerning, with due diligence for our products, where they come from and where they are going.

Now that we are officially trading with the world we have to make it our business to be astute with every transaction. Whether this means having inspection houses on board, or visiting manufacturers personally, now is the time to take responsibility for all our sourcing in the wake of global trading conducted on such a large scale. This is exhilarating, yet daunting.

Are the products ethically sourced? Are they recyclable? Is it fair-trade? Does it meet the EU directives such as WEEE, RoHS and the battery directive? Has the intellectual property right (IPR) of the product been upheld? These are all key questions for which we will be responsible for answering.

While the EU has a number of directives regulating and protecting the way trade is conducted, we need to take personal responsibility for how we trade with the world, and the BPMA is committed to upholding best practice in this regard.

With large markets such as China, India and South America all desperately waiting for restrictions to be relaxed, therein lies the potential for large-scale, positive and healthy trade.

We need to embrace the fact that sourcing is now a global activity and ensure standards and best practise are adopted by all, regardless of location.

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