HC Deb 24 October 1944 vol 404 cc31-2
72. Mr. Keeling

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the total sterling value of commercial exports from the United Kingdom and the U.S.A., respectively, in each year from 1938 onwards, excluding Lend-Lease.

Mr. Dalton

I am circulating these figures in the OFFICIAL REPORT, together with a note on certain considerations which must be borne in mind in interpreting them.

Following are the figures:

Exports from the United Kingdom excluding re-exports
(Value in million £)
Year
1938 … … … … 471
1939* … … … … 440*
1940* … … … … 411*
1941* … … … … 365*
1942 … … … … 269
1943 … … … … 232
* including munitions.
Total exports from the United States, including re-exports but excluding Lend-Lease goods
(Approx. value in million £)
Year
1938 … … … … 633
1939 … … … … 716
1940 … … … … 1,000
1941 … … … … 1,092
1942 … … … … 780
1943 … … … … 646

Notes.

(a) The United Kingdom figures for the war years include, in addition to munitions for the years 1939, 1940 and 1941, goods, other than military stores proper, shipped for purposes connected with the prosecution of the war and which cannot be classed as "commercial" in the normal sense. The figures include also exports under Reciprocal Aid.

(b) The U.S. figures include military stores and strategic commodities exported other than under Lend-Lease.