Owen surely comes from one of those families where critical thinking wasn't considered a valuable lifeskill.

➊ "92% of UK firms" will undoubtedly include a huge number of so-called 'personal service' companies and micro-businesses that are literally one man and a dog. https://twitter.com/OwenPaterson/status/1339890395917021184

➋ 8% of UK firms equates to 469,000 firms by 2019's numbers.
❸ However, only 24% of firms actually have employees which is 1,408,000. The other 4,460,000 companies are vehicles for self-employment, contracting or personal service companies.

➍ So 469,000 is actually 33.3% of all companies with employees and that's a much more serious number than the lie that @OwenPaterson is trying propagate in between shilling for Randox and the US farming industry.

➎ Those 469,000 companies may be the companies that actually export to the EU. But, unless they produce the whole 'widget' that they export, they probably purchase components or services from companies that don't directly export.

➎ contd./ Nissan directly exports to the EU, and so do Rolls-Royce with the jet engines they supply to Airbus. Both will have component and sub-assembly manufacturers that don't. Owen clearly doesn't understand what the word "chain" means in the term "supply chain".

➏ This isn't just for companies that sell goods; it also applies to services. In the olden days, a Swedish car manufacturer in Göteborg would ask its IT outsourcing company in Sweden to acquire talent which would then be referred to London.

➏ contd. / The London office would contact its preferred agencies and somebody like me might get a call. I wouldn't be dealing with the EU. I'd be two steps removed. So - using Owen's reasoning - I wouldn't be trading with the EU. But I would be dependent on those who do.

➐ The 0.74% (44,000) of UK businesses that employ 50 or more people are responsible for 53% of UK private sector employment and 63% of UK company turnover and are probably largely responsible for the UK's export and import trade.

➐ contd. / Those companies have a combined turnover of £2.621 trillion - greater than the GDP for the UK - and effectively drive the nation's economy whilst the 76% (4,460,000) of companies (that probably wouldn't exist without the larger companies and their exports) …

➐ contd. / … with no employees apart from their directors only account for 7% (£305 mio) of UK private company turnover - an average of £68,400 per company.

I can't explain why Owen would choose to try and mislead about that. OK, I can. He's been paid to do so.