HC Deb 22 November 1979 vol 974 cc291-3W
Mr. Leighton

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) whether he will circulate in the Official Report a table showing (a) the value and volume of motor cars imported from and exported to the EEC Six and from and to other countries in each year from 1970 and 1979 to date, and (b) the level of the tariff on car imports from the Six;

(2) what was the value and volume of imports and exports of (a) motor cars and (b) commercial vehicles traded between the United Kingdom and, respectively, the Six and non-Six each year betwen 1970 and 1978 and the current year to date.

1. TRADE IN PASSENGER MOTOR CARS
IMPORTS
Numbers Value (£ thousand c.i.f.)
EEC (6) Rest of World EEC (6) Rest of World
1970 … … 134,348 24,500 68,900 17,056
1971 … … 232,584 50,942 136,929 36,199
1972 … … 330,389 123,507 236,716 90,035
1973 … … 345,111 163,413 306,722 133,410
1974 … … 245,944 131,713 243,256 114,062
1975 … … 275,044 176,732 333,334 182,835
1976 … … 357,494 180,304 635,673 253,523
1977 … … 478,179 223,549 973,155 355,004
1978 … … 542,283 264,868 1,273,637 498,850
January-August 1979 … … 481,363 260,871 1,250,098 519,582

Kingdom and, respectively, the Six and the non-Six in each of the years 1970 to 1978 and the current year to date.

Mr. Eyre

[pursuant to his reply, 15 November 1979, c. 770]: The available information is as follows:

Mr. Eyre

[pursuant to the reply given by the Minister of State for Trade, 14 November 1979, c. 645]: details of United Kingdom trade in passenger motor cars and commercial vehicles with the EEC Six and the rest of the world are given in the tables below. The Customs duty on motor cars imported from the Six on 1 January 1970 was 15 per cent., on 1 January 1971, 13 per cent., and on 1 January 1972, 11 per cent. This duty remained in force until 31 March 1973. On 1 April 1973 the duty on such imports was reduced by 20 per cent. in accordance with article 32 of the Act of Accession. Further reductions of 20 per cent. of the basic duty took place on 1 January 1974, 1975 and 1976, and on 1 July 1977 imports of motor cars from the Six became duty-free.

EXPORTS
Numbers Value (£ thousand f.o.b.)
EEC (6) Rest of World EEC (6) Rest of World
1970 … … 143,220 549,529 48,605 281,052
1971 … … 165,603 557,458 58,273 312,788
1972 … … 159,778 468,298 57,476 273,172
1973 … … 178,706 421,557 81,173 294,085
1974 … … 120,109 449,480 62,175 363,976
1975 … … 81,887 440,274 74,415 420,049
1976 … … 66,394 439,482 112,063 542,848
1977 … … 77,840 408,668 162,377 612,326
1978 … … 75,057 402,946 199,948 744,603
January-August 1979 … … 78,556 239,825 146,871 466,751

II. TRADE IN COMMERCIAL VEHICLES
IMPORTS
Numbers Value (£ thousand c.i.f.)
EEC (6) Rest of World EEC (6) Rest of World
1970 … … 7,700 3,040 5,189 10,700
1971 … … 15,596 3,585 10,515 14,710
1972 … … 27,751 8,018 21,228 19,605
1973 … … 24,747 12,863 27,582 31,432
1974 … … 27,197 13,319 49,665 48,020
1975 … … 16,794 9,802 42,716 55,401
1976 … … 18,401 9,536 71,798 62,202
1977 … … 25,933 11,585 135,741 89,504
1978 … … 25,768 22,138 148,466 128,882
January-August 1979 … … 24,291 23,700 143,551 106,368
EXPORTS
Numbers Value (£ thousand f.o.b.)
EEC (6) Rest of World EEC (6) Rest of World
1970 … … 13,623 166,829 14,320 180,047
1971 … … 17,366 189,053 20,800 219,901
1972 … … 10,365 139,495 15,074 173,520
1973 … … 14,563 158,012 23,952 206,390
1974 … … 19,797 151,740 36,275 234,819
1975 … … 24,674 169,071 58,758 404,350
1976 … … 34,672 167,078 90,475 499,314
1977 … … 37,079 167,809 123,446 575,544
1978 … … 27,638 126,251 114,386 498,348
January-August 1979 … … 17,066 96,353 85,983 392,139
Source: United Kingdom Overseas Trade Statistics (SITC(R1)) Sub-groups 732.1–7 and corresponding items under SITC(R2)).
Note: The figures for commercial vehicles include dumpers and crane lorries and other minor approximations.