§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the percentage increase in world trade for each year since 1950; what has been the percentage increase in liquidity; and in what form this has been for each of these years.
§ Sir G. HoweFollowing is the information:
Word Exports* (valued in U.S. dollars) increase on preceding year Per cent. International Liquidity† (valued in U.S. dollars) increase on preceding year Per cent. 1950 4.8 7.0 1951 35.2 0.9 1952 −4.1 1.5 1953 2.5 3.8 1954 2.8 3.1 1955 8.8 1.7 1956 11.0 3.9 1957 7.4 0.6 1958 −3.7 1.9 1959 5.6 −0.4 1960 11.3 5.1 1961 4.7 3.4 1962 4.9 1.3 1963 9.1 5.5 1964 12.4 3.7 1965 8.0 2.8 1966 9.7 7.4 1967 5.0 −2.6 1968 11.7 4.2 1969 14.4 1.1 1970 14.9 18.3 1971 12.1 41.0 1972 17.9 21.2 * Source: For years subsequent to 1967, "Trade and Industry ", 6th December 1973; for earlier years United Nations Statistical Yearbooks. Exports of centrally planned economies are excluded. †Source: International Reserves as set out in Table 191 of the 1972 United Nations Statistical Yearbook and corresponding figures in earlier Yearbooks. Details of the forms of increase in liquidity are given in Table 191 of the 1972 United Nations Statistical Yearbook and corresponding tables in earlier issues. Copies are held in the House of Commons Library.