BRITISH Salt Limited welcomed the Department for International Trade to its Middlewich site this week, with a view to improving and cementing relationships in export markets.

British Salt Limited is part of Tata Chemicals Europe.

A group of 20 Government delegates - based around the UK and abroad – were on a fact-finding mission to learn more about chemical manufacturing in the north of England.

General manager for salt and sodium bicarbonate, Dr Ladan Iravanian, gave a presentation on the company and its market leading products, and the rapid growth in the company’s exports.

The delegates were then taken on a tour of the plant, led by senior British Salt colleagues.

Dr Iravanian said: “We were delighted to be able to show off our plant to representatives of the UK Government, and to highlight the increasing importance of strong export companies for UK manufacturers.

“We are a key flag-bearer for UK exports and we are always striving to break into new markets – we sell to 80 countries, and that figure is rising all the time.”

Communications manager Richard Redman said: “We were very proud to host the Department for International Trade.

“The visit was a very enjoyable and useful experience, and I think both parties learned a lot from each other.

“We are looking forward to working together in the future, and further developing our exports and international trade relationships.”

The visit is the latest event highlighting Tata Chemicals Europe as a major player in and supporter of the Northern Powerhouse manufacturing landscape and a major advocate of the benefits of strong export performance.

Tata Chemicals Europe was named as an ‘Export Champion’ by the Department for International Trade North West.

Tata Chemicals Europe is the UK’s sole producer of sodium carbonate, a key raw material for glass making and detergents, and of sodium bicarbonate, used in a wide variety of applications from pharmaceutical through food and animal feeds to detergents.

Sister company British Salt is the country’s market-leading producer of food grade salt. Tata Chemicals Europe and British Salt are based in Cheshire, and employ more than 380 people locally.