HC Deb 15 December 1983 vol 50 c531W
Mr. Gould

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for mechanical engineering products the value of imports from and exports to other EEC countries each year since 1970 and in the current year to date, together with the export-import ratio.

Mr. Alexander Fletcher

Information before 1975 is not readily available. Figures from 1975 onwards are given in the following table:

United Kingdom trade with other members of the European Community† in the products of the mechanical engineering industry‡
Period Exports £ million current prices Imports £ million current prices Exports/Imports per cent.
1975 859 876 98
1976 1,130 1,240 91
1977 1,453 1,449 100
1978 1,664 1,786 93
1979 1,904 2,206 86
1980 2,143 2,135 100
1981 1,824 2,062 88
1982 1,837 2,328 79
1983* 1,350 2,048 66
* First three quarters.
† Belgium, Luxembourg, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Denmark, Irish Republic and Greece.
‡ Class 32 of the standard industrial classification (1980).