TTIP – an opportunity for European SMEs

German SMEs are on the whole relaxed about the possibility of TTIP. Around 18 % of the small and medium-sized enterprises here are hoping that a transatlantic free-trade agreement will be advantageous for them. In comparison, only around 8 % expect a negative impact on their company. In the US, as well as in Great Britain, Spain, France and Italy, the number of TTIP supporters among SMES outweighs the critics. Small and medium-sized enterprises in third countries, however, tend to view a transatlantic free-trade agreement more sceptically. This can be seen in a KfW survey of approximately 3,000 companies with 30–500 employees in 10 industrial and emerging countries. The approval of TTIP depends primarily on their own level of competitiveness but financing difficulties and skills shortages could also severely reduce the benefits of a transatlantic free-trade agreement.

TTIP – an opportunity for European SMEs(PDF, 159 KB, non-accessible)