§ Mr. Biffenasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list quarterly figures for the value and volume of imports and exports of finished steel products during 1971 and 1972 and indicate the corresponding percentage charges.
§ Sir G. HoweThe following are the figures:
IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF FINISHED STEEL PRODUCTS Imports Exports Thousand tonnes £ million Thousand tones £ million 1971: 1st quarter 457 41.7 914 71.4 2nd quarter 422 35.1 1,291 94.6 3rd quarter 524 38.9 1,208 87.1 4th quarter 629 45.0 1,293 98.1 1972: 1st quarter 699 47.7 1,115 80.8 2nd quarter 662 47.8 1,134 85.2 3rd quarter* 565 47.1 839 62.3 4th quarter* 735 62.3 1,364 103.3
PERCENTAGE CHANGES IN EACH QUARTER OF 1972 OVER THE CORRESPONDING QUARTER OF 1971 1st quarter +53.0 +14.3 +22.0 +13.3 2nd quarter +56.9 +36.0 -12.2 -9.9 3rd quarter* +7.8 +21.2 -30.5 -28.5 4th quarter* +16.9 +38.3 +5.5 +5.3 * The figures of imports and exports in the third and fourth quarters of 1972 were distorted by the effect of the dock strike of August 1972. Finished steel products covers ingots and other primary forms; bars, rods, angles, shapes and sections; universals, plates and sheets (excluding lacquered tinplate); hoop and strip; certain rails and railway track material; tubes and pipes; castings and forgings, unworked; and railway locomotive axles, tyres and wheels.