HC Deb 08 June 1989 vol 154 cc227-8W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will publish in theOfficial Report, a table showing for the years 1970 to date for the European Economic Community 12 and for the rest of the world, imports and exports of manufactures less erratics, at current and at 1988 prices, together with an index of relative export prices based on 1970 - 100.

Mr. Alan Clark

Taking the EC and the rest of the world as two blocks, and disregarding intra trade within them, EC exports may be considered equal to the rest of the world's imports and vice versa. Similarly relative export prices of EC to the rest of the world will be equivalent to EC's export prices relative to import prices. Because figures for a consistent configuration of the EC are not readily available for the period, a volume index is provided rather than a constant price series. It is not practical to identify and exclude erratic items for these trading blocks.

The available figures are as follows:

EC trade in manufactures1 with rest of world
Value2 Volume3 (1980 - 100) Terms of trade4
Exports Imports Exports Imports (1980 - 100)
1970 46.9 26.5 n/a n/a n/a
1971 51.5 26.9 n/a n/a n/a
1972 55.3 29.3 n/a n/a n/a
1973 67.2 37.7 n/a n/a n/a
1974 94.8 49.6 n/a n/a n/a
1975 101.8 49.3 n/a n/a n/a
1976 118.6 64.4 n/a n/a n/a
1977 137.4 72.6 n/a n/a n/a
1978 145.6 82.8 n/a n/a n/a
1979 158.7 98.7 99.8 93.2 98.6
1980 180.7 118.3 100.0 100.0 100.0
1981 205.6 120.7 106.7 97.2 97.0
1982 222.2 130.5 104.1 96.4 98.4
1983 234.9 144.8 102.3 99.2 98.1
1984 272.8 174.9 110.6 108.1 95.2
1985 299.9 182.7 115.6 111.1 94.8
1986 277.9 185.7 107.5 120.2 100.4
1987 275.9 198.6 104.5 131.1 103.6
n/a Not available.
1 SITC 5–8.
2 Billions of European Currency Units; 1970–84 EC 10, 1985

onwards EC 12.
3 1979–80 EC9, 1981–1985 EC 10, 1986 onwards EC 12.
4 EC export unit value as percentage of EC import unit value; 1979–80 EC9, 1981–1985 EC10, 1986 onwards EC12.

Source: Eurostat.

Forward to