HC Deb 22 October 1986 vol 102 cc893-5W
Mr. Gould

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will bring up to date the figures given in reply to a question on 21 March 1978, Official Report, column 543, showing the ratio of the increase in manufactured export prices to the corresponding increase in wholesale prices, using trade in 1980 as a base.

Mr. Alan Clark

The information is in the following table:

Comparisons of changes in export unit values and producer price indices (manufactures)
UVI 1985/UVI1961 PPI1985/PPI1961 (a)/(b)
(a) (b)
Belgium-Luxembourg 2.77 2.48 1.12
France 5.12 4.82 1.06
Federal Republic of Germany 1.95 2.37 0.82
Italy 7.79 8.73 0.89
Japan 1.78 2.13 0.84
Netherlands 2.35 2.85 0.82
United Kingdom 7.28 6.58 1.11
United States of America 3.72 3.22 1.16

Source: IMF.

UVI = Unit Value Index.

PPI = Producer Price Index.

Mr. Gould

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will bring up to date the figures given in reply to a written question, Official Report, 18 November 1976, column 697, showing the index figure for trade competitiveness each year and the rate of growth of imported manufactures relative to the growth of exported manufactures.

Mr. Alan Clark

Volume growth rates for trade in manufactures are in the following table. Because the previous answer covered total trade growth rates, the series are taken back to 1963.

United Kingdom Trade in Manufactures
1Percentage change on previous year 2Relative export prices
Imports Exports 1980 = 100
1963 8.6 5.2 81.2
1964 22.0 3.8 81.3
1965 0.4 5.3 83.5
1966 6.2 3.3 85.3
1967 13.3 -1.9 86.2
1968 16.6 14.1 79.7
1969 5.7 12.5 79.2
1970 7.1 1.0 80.1
1971 8.0 7.9 81.9
1972 18.0 0.8 82.0
1973 20.8 12.9 75.5
1974 6.1 5.5 74.2
1975 -6.4 -2.8 77.9
1976 8.8 8.6 75.5
1977 9.6 7.5 79.7
1978 11.5 -0.5 84.5
1979 133 -0.8 90.4
1980 -0.8 1.0 100.0
1981 -2.0 -6.0 98.0
1982 9.5 1.8 92.2
1983 13.2 -0.3 89.2
1984 10.4 9.3 87.7
1985 49 6.1 89.8
Source: Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics.
1 Based on Volume data.
2 Defined as the unit value index of United Kingdom exports of manufactures divided by a weighted average of the unit value indices of competitors' exports of manufactures, both expressed in a common currency.