HC Deb 19 January 1984 vol 52 cc296-8W
Mr. Teddy Taylor

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish a table showing the total figures for the import and export of manufactured goods and the consequent trade balance, in respect of the European Economic Community and the rest of the world, respectively, for 1983; and if he will publish in the same table the comparable figures for each year back to 1970.

Mr. Alexander Fletcher

The information is in the table. For 1983 these balance of payments figures are available for only the first three quarters.

United Kingdom Trade in Manufactures
£ million BoP basis
European Community* Rest of World
Exports Imports Visible Balance Exports Imports Visible Balance
1970 1,962 1,431 +531 4,920 2,889 +2,031
1971 2,059 1,728 +331 5,633 2,949 +2,684
1972 2,281 2,331 -50 5,677 3,482 + 2,195
1973 3,015 3,481 -466 6,908 4,954 + 1,954
1974 4,330 4,965 -635 9,064 6,459 +2,605
1975 4,699 5,408 -709 11,139 6,693 +4,446
1976 6,773 7,441 -668 13,877 8,292 +5,585
1977 8,672 9,424 -752 16,917 10,279 +6,638
1978 9,704 11,510 -1,806 18,037 11,165 +6,872
1979 12,031 14,585 -2,554 18,933 13,680 +5,253
1980 13,285 14,446 -1,161 21,598 14,876 +6,722
1981 12,518 15,087 -2,569 22,400 15,040 +7,360
1982 13,718 18,059 -4,341 23,615 16,813 +6,802
Jan-Sept 1983 10,961 16,215 -5,254 18,487 14,901 +3,586
* present membership throughout

Mr. Teddy Taylor

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of the European Economic Community's manufactured imports came from the United Kingdom in 1983; and what was the comparable percentage the year before the United Kingdom joined the European Economic Community.

Mr. Alexander Fletcher

Figures are readily available for only the first six months of 1983 when 6.1 per cent. of the total imports of manufactures by the countries of the European Community came from the United Kingdom. The figure for the same countries in 1972 was 6.3 per cent.

Mr. Teddy Taylor

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish tables showing the six nations with which the United Kingdom had the largest positive balance in manufacturing trade in 1983 and the six nations with which the United Kingdom had the largest deficit in manufacturing trade in 1983; and if he will publish separate tables showing the comparable situation in 1972.

Mr. Alexander Fletcher

The available information is as follows:

Largest balances in United Kingdom trade in manufactured goods
(£ million)
(a)

Imports cif

(b)

Exports fob

(c)

Crude Balance (b minus a)

1972
Australia 71 288 +217
USA 829 1,012 +183
Irish Republic 172 338 +166
South Africa 136 288 +153
New Zealand 4 137 +132
Nigeria 13 137 +124
Federal Republic of Germany 776 468 -307
Japan 284 143 -141
Switzerland 344 228 -115
Hong Kong 181 88 -93
Italy 261 225 -36
Finland 152 121 -31
1983 (January-November)
Saudi Arabia 220 1,145 +925
South Africa 230 888 +657
Nigeria 28 617 +589
Iran 8 512 +504
India 175 662 +487
Australia 281 746 +465

(a) Imports cif (b) Exports fob (c) Crude Balance (b minus a)
Federal Republic of Germany 8,115 3,575 -4,540
Japan 3,012 546 -2,466
USA 5,510 4,408 -1,102
Italy 2,491 1,422 -1,069
France 3,651 2,661 -991
Switzerland 1,936 1,186 -750

Source: UK Overseas Trade Statistics.

Notes:

  1. (a) For maximum comparability, 1972 figures are on an SITC(R1) basis, but incorporating current (1981) adjustments in respect of precious stones; 1983 figures are on the current SITC(R2) basis. This does not remove all statistical inconsistency between the two years in question, but the remaining differences are believed to be minor.
  2. (b) Owing to rounding, columns (a) and (b) may not in all cases balance to column (c).