§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) in which sectors a comparison of average values and unit values indicates that there has been a change in the composition of imports and exports of manufactures since 1975;
(2) further to his reply, Official Report 17 July, column 639, concerning unit values based on current weights, whether he will circulate in the Official Report a table giving similar figures for finished manufactures excluding erratics; and which are the principal items in the case of manufactures as a whole which account for the difference between 1975 and current weights.
§ Mr. Parkinson:The information requested in respect of finished manufactures excluding erratics is as follows:
TRADE IN FINISHED MANUFACTURES EXCLUDING ERRATICS*: CURRENT-WEIGHTED UNIT VALUE INDEX† OTS basis Imports 1975 100 100 1976 120 123 1977 142 139 1978 157 152 1979 170 155 * SITC sections 7 and 8 excluding Ships, Aircraft and North Sea Installations. † Paasche index. 44W
II. TRADE IN MANUFACTURES (a) United Kingdom Imports £ million cif 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 Iran … … … … 13 16 24 25 20 Poland … … … … 51 71 95 123 123 Israel … … … … 39 56 73 96 117 Malaysia … … … … 24 43 64 63 72 Singapore … … … … 44 63 70 85 126 (b) United Kingdom Exports … … … … £ million fob … … … … 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 Iran … … … … 406 455 560 651 213 Poland … … … … 162 171 178 196 205 Israel … … … … 225 231 258 228 209 Malaysia … … … … 103 108 134 166 170 Singapore … … … … 145 154 181 231 241 (c) Crude Balance (Exports Valued job minus Imports cif) £ million … … … … 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 Iran +393 … … … … +439 +536 +626 +194 Poland … … … … +111 +100 +83 +73 +81 Israel … … … … +186 +176 +186 +132 +92 Malaysia … … … … +79 +65 +70 +103 +98 Singapore … … … … +101 +91 +112 +146 +115 Source: United Kingdom Overseas Trade Statistics. Notes: (a) All figures are on an SITC(Rev. 2) basis except those for trade in manufactures in 1975 which are based on the previous classification SITC(Rev. 1); this results in slight discontinuities in the data for trade in manufactures in 1975 compared with later periods. (b) Because of rounding, there may be slight discrepancies between the crude balances and the differences between exports and imports. On the remainder of the questions, the principal changes in the broad composition of exports of manufactures between 1975 and 1979 have been increases in the proportion of chemicals and precious stones, and declines for mechanical and electrical machinery and also road vehicles.
For imports, a similar comparison indicates a sharp rise for road vehicles, and a small increase for precious stones, while decreases in the proportion have been evident for mechanical machinery and metals. There have also been some changes within chemicals.
§ Mr. Marlowasked the Secretary of State for Trade what have been the imports, exports and balance of trade both in manufactured goods and overall with the seventh to the twelfth most significant newly-industrialised countries, individually expressed, excluding Taiwan. for each of the last five years.
§ Mr. Parkinson:The information for the seventh to twelfth newly-industrialising countries (excluding Taiwan, ranked eleventh) from which United Kingdom imports in 1979 were largest is as follows: 45W
I. TOTAL TRADE (a) United Kingdom Imports £ million cif 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 Iran … … … … 701 1,048 789 528 244 Poland … … … … 115 154 179 212 229 Israel … … … … 91 129 162 187 228 Malaysia … … … … 117 157 224 200 221 Singapore … … … … 65 95103 117 185 (b) United Kingdom Exports £ million fob Iran … … … … 496 516 659 752 232 Poland … … … … 183 192 201 266 261 Israel … … … … 238 250 276 243 271 Malaysia … … … … 116 119 148 186 187 Singapore … … … … 165 172 201 256 271 (c) Crude Balance (Exports Valued fob minus Imports cif) £ million 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 Iran … … … … −206 −532 −130 +224 −12 Poland … … … … +69 +37 +22 +54 +31 Israel … … … … +147 +122 +114 +56 +43 Malaysia … … … … −1 −38 −76 −14 −34 Singapore … … … … +100 +78 +98 +139 +85