HC Deb 22 May 1980 vol 985 cc279-80W
Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Trade, of imports of textiles and clothing into the United Kingdom in 1978, what amount in dollars per thousands dollars of gross domestic product the United Kingdom imported from developing countries; and what was the amount for 1979.

Mr. Tebbit

[pursuant to his reply, 13 May 1980, c. 407]: Imports of textiles and clothing from developing countries expressed as a percentage of the gross domestic product at market prices in the years in question are shown below. 1977

Imports (cif) £ million Exports (fob)
Man-made fibres suitable for spinning and waste of man-made fibres … 99.1 179.8
Yarn of continuous man-made fibres … … … … … … 209.8 222.6
Wool or other animal hair, carded or combed (including tops) … … 12.3 53.6
Cotton yarn … … … … … … … … … 68.4 26.8
Yarn of discontinuous man-made fibres … … … … … 64.9 45.4
Yarn of wool or animal hair (excluding tops) … … … … … 26.9 77.0
Woven cotton fabrics (excluding narrow or special fabrics) … … … 315.9 120.9
Fabrics woven of man-made fibres (excluding narrow or special fabrics) … 409.6 127.7
Fabrics woven of wool or fine animal hair … … … … … 53.8 166.1
Knitted or crocheted fabrics (including tubular knit fabrics, pile fabrics and open-work fabrics) … … … … … … … 51.3 67.8
Carpets, carpeting, rugs, mats and matting … … … … … 139.3 159.5
Other textiles … … … … … … … … … 342.8 298.8

The three principal countries (by value) from which, overall, these textile products were consigned to the United Kingdom were: Italy, the Federal Republic of Germany and the United States of America.

is also included for the purpose of comparison. The proportion in parenthesis are per mille.

1977 0.42 (4.2)
1978 0.42 (4.2)
1979 0.47 (4.7)

Note: textiles and clothing as defined by SITC(R2) Divisions 65 and 84.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) what the value of the imports of the following textile products into the United Kingdom was in 1979: man-made staple, man-made filament yarn, wool, corded or combed spun yarn cotton, man-made fibre, wool, woven fabrics, cotton, man-made fibre wool, carpets knitted fabrics and other textiles; and which three countries, in order, exported on average the most textile products to the United Kingdom;

(2) what the value of the exports of the following textile products was in 1979: man-made staple, man-made filament yarn, wool, corded or combed, spun yarn; cotton, man-made fibre wool, woven fabrics, cotton, man-made fibre, wool, knitted fabrics, carpets and other textiles.

Mr. Tebbit

[pursuant to his reply, 13 May 1980, c. 407]: I assume that the information that my hon. Friend requires is the following:

Source: UK Overseas Trade Statistics (SITC (Rev 2) Division 65, Groups 266 and 267 and Item 268.7).