Mr. SIMONasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can give figures showing the relative increase or decrease of British and German export trade in recent years, showing trade to the British Empire separately?
§ Mr. W. GRAHAMThe following statement shows for each of the years 1927, 1928 and 1929(a) the total value of merchandise exported from Great Britain and Northern Ireland, distinguishing the value of merchandise consigned to British countries and to Germany respectively, and (b) the total value of domestic merchandise exported from Germany, distinguishing the value of such merchandise exported to Great Britain and Northern Ireland and to 1791W other British countries respectively, so far as the particulars are available from the official trade returns of Germany.
(A) Value of Merchandise exported from Great Britain and Northern Ireland. — 1927. 1928. 1929 (provisional figures). (i) The Produce and Manufactures of the United Kingdom. Thousand £ Thousand £ Thousand £ Total 709,081 723,579 729, 555 Of which consigned to:— British countries (including Protectorates and Mandated Territories). 326,650 327,668 324,465 Germany 41,879 40,947 37,120 (ii) Imported Merchandise. Thousand £. Thousand £. Thousand £. Total 122,953 120,283 109,742 Of which consigned to:— British countries (including Protectorates and Mandated Territories). 22,044 22,779 23,070 Germany 27,538 26,392 23,271
(B) Value of Domestic Merchandise exported from Germany. — 1927. 1928. 1929 (Provisional figures). Thousand £ Thousand £ Thousand £ Total (including Deliveries on account of Reparations). 528,169 591,211 659,920 Of which exported to:— Great Britain and Northern Ireland 57,580 57,989 63,902 Other British Countries (see note 2 below). 28,756 28,308 31,142
NOTES TO TABLE (B). 1. Deliveries on account of Reparations amounted to £28,246,000 in 1927, £32,507,000 in 1928 and to £39,116,000 in 1929. According to the Official German Trade Returns there were no deliveries on this account to Great Britain and Northern Ireland or to any other British Country in these years. 2. The figures relating to the exports from Germany to "Other British Countries" exclude the value of any Merchandise exported to the following British countries and Mandate.] territories, etc., particulars in respect of which are not separately recorded in the Official Trade Returns of Germany: Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, British Togoland and Cameroons, Aden and Dependencies, Wei-bai-Wei, Hong Kong, Fiji Islands, Nauru and Samoa, and part of British Guiana. The value of the exports to these countries does not appear to be substantial. 3. Conversions from the original currency intro sterling have been made at the following rates, namely:— 1792W
20.43 gold marks = £1 (1929) (par rate). 20.39 gold marks = £1 (1928). 20.45 gold marks = £1 (1927). The comparable data relating to the exports from Germany of imported merchandise are not available.