HC Deb 02 March 1983 vol 38 cc142-3W
Mr. Colvin

asked the Minister for Trade what obstacles have been created by European Community directives to the establishment of duty-free manufacturing sub-zones near airports in Europe; and if he has studied the ways in which these have been established in the United State of America.

Mr. Sproat

[pursuant to the reply, 28 February 1983, c. 1]: Although the Council directives concerning free zones makes no specific reference to sub-zones we see no obstacle in Community legislation to their establishment. The use of such a facility in the United States of America is a consequence of different tariff policy and administration, particularly as regards the processing of imported goods into products for the home market.

Mr. Teddy Taylor

asked the Minister for Trade if he will publish a table showing (a) the total amount of the United Kingdom's manufacturing exports which went to the original six members of the European Community, to the nations which now comprise the European Community and to the rest of the world, respectively, in 1982 and in each of the previous 20 years, (b) the comparable figures for imports of manufactured goods from these three groups of nations (c) for each group the positive or negative balance of manufactured goods trade and (d) the export to import ratios for manufactured goods trade in each category.

Mr. Peter Rees

[pursuant to the reply, 28 February 1983, c. 2]: The information is as follows:

European Community (Original Six) European Community (Current Membership) Rest of World Export/Import ratio
Exports Imports Crude balance Export/Import ratio Exports Imports Crude balance Export/Import ratio Exports Imports Crude balance
1970 1,453 1,292 +162 112 1,966 1,503 +463 131 4,840 3,069 +1,771 158
1971 1,553 1,519 +34 102 2,107 1,777 +330 119 5,574 3,133 +2,442 178
1972 1,776 2,034 -258 87 2,353 2,331 +21 101 5,716 3,634 +2,082 157
1973 2,307 3,088 -781 75 3,075 3,491 -416 88 6,937 5,192 +1,745 134
1974 3,283 4,444 -1,161 74 4,211 4,961 -750 85 9,046 6,718 +2,328 135
1975 3,818 4,935 -1,117 77 4,842 5,483 -640 88 11,158 7,056 +4,103 158
1976 5,496 6,848 -1,352 80 6,916 7,583 -666 91 13,741 8,941 +4,800 154
1977 6,979 8,799 -1,820 79 8,830 9,740 -910 91 16,935 10,897 +6,038 155
1978 7,821 10,905 -3,084 72 9,967 11,996 -2,029 83 18,022 12,330 +5,692 146
1979 9,608 13,973 -4,365 69 12,219 15,299 -3,081 80 18,651 14,390 +4,261 130
1980 10,936 13,727 -2,791 80 13,432 15,176 -1,744 89 21,379 16,001 +5,378 134
1981 10,419 14,233 -3,814 73 12,778 15,771 -2,993 81 22,120 16,222 +5,898 136
1982 11,394 17,047 -5,653 67 13,874 18,844 -4,970 74 23,442 18,239 +5,203 129
Note: The figures in the table are on an overseas trade statistics basis so that imports are valued CIF. The figures of imports would be lower on a Balance of Payments basis, with consequent changes to the balance. Such figures are not available at present.
* Taken as Standard International Trade Classification Sections 5 to 8.

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