HC Deb 25 November 1985 vol 87 cc402-3W
Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give a breakdown of the products which have been imported into the United Kingdom from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during the last six years and the extent to which these imports rose or decreased from year to year during the same period; and if he will list the trade balance between the two countries from year to year during the same period.

Mr. Channon

Information relating to the crude balance, and imports under six of the main product groups is given in the table. A fuller breakdown of imports by SITC/R2 division may be obtained from table II of the relevant issue of "UK Overseas Trade Statistics".

1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984
Crude Trade Balance -75 +28 -18 -289 -284 -121
(a) (b) (a) (b) (a) (b) (a) (b) (a) (b) (a) (b)
Road vehicles (78) 29 +46 16 -46 18 +17 24 +31 28 +16 17 -40
Other 69 76 66 71 95 105
(a) United Kingdom imports £ million (cif).
(b) Percentage change from previous year.

Source: Table II of "Overseas Trade Statistics".

Notes:

(i) crude trade balance is calculated as United Kingdom exports (fob) less imports (cif).

(ii) figures in parenthesis after commodity descriptions refer to divisions of the Standard International Trade Classification (Revision 2).

(iii) owing to rounding percentages may not correspond exactly to values given.