HC Deb 17 November 1983 vol 48 cc514-5W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year since 1953 and the current year to date the ratio of United Kingdom exports of manufactures to the United States of America to imports of manufactures from the United States of America, the comparable figures for Germany and Japan, and the real exchange rate in each case based on relative export prices.

Mr. Channon

The figures are in the tables. Export unit value indices, given as a guide to relative export prices, are not readily available prior to 1961.

Table 1
Ratio of United Kingdom exports to imports of manufactures
Percentages
Trade with
Year F.R, of Germany U.S.A. Japan
1953 64 131 195
1954 78 119 130
1955 69 93 83
1956 72 153 212
1957 70 136 188
1958 82 162 154
1959 90 208 183
1960 80 88 163

Trade with
Year F.R. of Germany U.S.A. Japan
1961 82 85 198
1962 94 102 201
1963 92 98 150
1964 76 70 131
1965 87 94 101
1966 78 116 111
1967 71 96 119
1968 72 95 107
1969 79 86 142
1970 81 86 118
1971 72 114 81
1972 60 122 50
1973 50 110 53
1974 47 89 49
1975 57 87 40
1976 58 92 38
1977 58 90 37
1978 54 94 35
1979 52 85 33
1980 61 70 29
1981 60 76 23
1982 51 75 21
*1983 43 78 18
* January to September.

Source: Overseas Trade Statistics.

Table 2
Exports of manufactures
Unit value indices (national currencies) 1980=100
Year U.K. F.R. of Germany Japan U.S.A.
1961 19.8 61.3 55.8 33.4
1962 20.0 61.8 54.3 33.0
1963 20.4 61.1 53.3 32.9
1964 21.0 61.8 52.7 33.2
1965 21.6 63.6 52.0 34.3
1966 22.5 64.9 51.4 35.4
1967 23.0 64.7 53.1 36.3
1968 24.8 63.8 53.3 36.9
1969 25.4 64.8 55.3 38.8
1970 27.4 66.3 58.8 40.8
1971 28.7 67.7 60.2 41.8
1972 30.7 67.6 58.1 42.8

United Kingdom Trade March-September 1983
Trade with:
Other countries of the European Community World excluding European Community
Exports fob Imports cif Exports fob Imports cif
£ million* £ million* £ million* £ million*
Manufactures† less precious stones‡ 7,115 11,154 11,929 10,369
Total trade less crude oilob/ and precious stones‡ 9,573 14,540 14,347 15,654
* not seasonally adjusted
† Standard International Trade Classification Sections 5 to 8
‡ Standard International Trade Classification heading 667
ob/ Standard International Trade Classification heading 333

Source: United Kingdom Overseas Trade Statistics

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