HC Deb 01 July 1983 vol 44 cc176-8W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the trade deficit on manufactures in the first four months of 1983 at an annual rate; how this compares with 1982; what proportion of the total deficit is accounted for by the deficit on trade in manufactures with the European Community; and what are the reasons for the increase in the deficit.

Mr. Alexander Fletcher

Comparison of the balances, shown in the following table, on trade in manufactures is not possible in proportionate terms in this instance.

While exports of manufactures have remained fairly steady over the last year, imports have risen as consumer demand and industrial activity increased, so that trade in manufactures moved into deficit.

Crude Balance of United Kingdom Trade in Manufactures
£ million, OTS basis
World European Community
January-April 1983 at an annual rate* -5,505 -7,629
Year 1982 + 233 -4,970
* Annualised figures can be very unreliable as a guide to the outturn for the year.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing imports and exports of manufactures, less precious stones, to and from the European Community and the rest of the world for each year since 1970 and for 1983 to date at an annual rate on (a) an overseas trade statistics basis and (b) a balance of payments basis.

Mr. Alexander Fletcher

The information on theOverseas Trade Statistics basis is given in the following table. These data are not available on a balance of payments basis.

United Kingdom trade in manufactures* less precious stones
£ million OTS basis
Exports Imports
Year European Community Rest of the World European Community Rest of the World
1970 1,814 4,602 1,429 2,770
1971 1,988 5,302 1,694 2,850
1972 2,237 5,403 2,227 3,302
1973 2,972 6,473 3,353 4,699
1974 4,050 8,574 4,765 6,174
1975 4,649 10,632 5,246 6,491
1976 6,658 12,949 7,290 8,244
1977 8,546 15,865 9,320 9,919
1978 9,648 16,886 11,512 11,340
1979 11,817 17,339 14,659 13,140
1980 12,774 19,927 14,653 14,586
1981 12,268 21,092 15,299 15,251
1982 13,258 22,447 18,316 17,247
1983 ‡14,007 ‡22,194 ‡21,809 ‡19,981
* Taken as standard international trade classification, sections 5 to 8.
‡ Taken as standard international trade classification, division 66.
‡Estimated from the first five months of 1983 at an annual rate.

Annualised figures can be very unreliable as a guide to the outturn for the year.

Source: Overseas Trade Statistics.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing imports and exports of manufactures from and to the Federal Republic of Germany for each year since 1970 and for 1983 to date, together with the balance of trade in manufacturing and the real exchange rate against the deutschmark based on the fourth quarter of 1976 = 100.

Mr. Alexander Fletcher

The information is as follows:

United Kingdom Trade in Manufactures with the Federal Republic of Germany
Exports fob Imports cif Crude Balance Exchange Rate Index*(Q4 1976 = 100)
£ million £ million £ million £ million
1970 404 500 - 96 45.4
1971 426 593 - 167 †46.6
1972 468 776 -308 †50.2

Exports fob Imports cif Crude Balance Exchange Rate Index*(Q4 1976 = 100)
£ million £ million £ million £ million
1973 628 1,253 -624 61.0
1974 798 1,698 -900 65.7
1975 1,000 1,748 -748 73.3
1976 1,424 2,457 -1,032 87.6
1977 1,873 3,207 -1,334 98.4
1978 2,210 4,077 -1,868 103.6
1979 2,764 5,287 -2,523 102.4
1980 3,133 5,135 -2,001 94.4
1981 3,163 5,315 -2,152 87.3
1982 3,409 6,730 -3,321 94.0
1983‡ 1,563 3,694 -2,131 †107.6
* £ sterling per deutschmark as percentage of Q4/76 rate.
† Estimated from rates for consecutive parts of the year weighted by the number of days in each.
‡ January to May.

Source:

Overseas Trade Statistics.

CSO Financial Statistics.

Mr. Gould

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has as to the per capita value of exports of manufactures per head in terms of dollars for each of the main industrial countries in 1970 and in the latest available year.

Mr. Alexander Fletcher

The information is as follows:

Per Capita Exports of Manufactures by the Main Manufacturing Countries
United States Dollars
1970 1982*
United States of America 140 594
Canada 448 1,548
Japan 175 1,142
Belgium/Luxembourg 961 3,668
France 267 1,313
Federal Republic of Germany 505 2,441
Italy 206 1,077
Netherlands 522 2,312
Sweden 653 2,569
Switzerland 736 3,755
United Kingdom 295 1,165
* Provisional.

Source: OECD, supplemented by United Nations and national sources.

Mr. Gould

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how the volume of imports and exports of manufactures to and from the European Community in the first four months of 1983 compares with the same period in 1970.

Mr. Alexander Fletcher

This information is not available.