FIFTEEN Welsh exporters kave returned from the Middle East with orders worth £2m. This is on top of the £8m worth of orders netted by Welsh firms from around the world thanks to a series of trade campaigns organised by Wales-Trade International.

Despite the problems surrounding the World Trade Centre horror, they received a warm welcome in each of the markets they visited in the gulf, including Kuwait, Quatar, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

This summer First Minister Rhodri Morgan led three trade missions to South America, California and South Africa.

He said that although the full economic benefits of the trade missions would take time to filter through, early results showed that Welsh small companies had secured £4m of prospective orders in South America, nearly £3m in California and £1m in South Africa, last month.

Mr Morgan said: "We should not underestimate the importance of international trade to the Welsh economy.

"WTI is working to promote a culture of export in Wales and put Welsh products on the world map.

"I hope that the news of this significant £8m boost for Welsh business, together with the success of the latest visit to the Gulf, will help to spread the word that all companies, no matter how large or small, can benefit from international trade."

Mel Rogers, managing director of Plan Stairways (Internat-ional), Abercynon, said: "If I had not made this visit my company would not be quoting for $300k worth of work in Kuwait, $60k in Quatar and $500k in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

"From close up the Middle East market looks lucrative, and thanks to the help of WTI's trade mission, it no longer poses fear."