§ Mrs. BeckettTo ask the President of the Board of Trade with which European Union countries the United Kingdom had a surplus in trade in goods and trade in services, transfers and investment income in each of the most recent three years for which figures are available. [15935]
§ Mr. Lang[holding answer 14 February 1997]: The information requested is given.
247WCountries with which the UK had a surplus in each of the past three years and the year(s) of surplus:
Trade in goods Years of surplus Belgium/Luxembourg 1993 1994 1995 Greece 1993 1994 1995 Ireland 1993 1994 1995 Netherlands — — 1995 Portugal 1993 — 1995 Spain 1993 1994 1995 Austria — 1994 1995 Source:
ONS—Geographical breakdown of the balance of payments economic trends October 1996.
Trade in services Years of surplus Belgium/Luxembourg 1993 1994 1995 Denmark 1993 1994 1995 Germany 1993 1994 1995 Ireland 1993 1994 1995 Italy 1993 1994 1995 Netherlands 1993 — 1995 Sweden 1993 1994 1995 Finland 1993 1994 1995 Source:
ONS—Geographical breakdown of the balance of payments
Transfers Years of surplus Germany 1993 1994 1995 Greece 1993 1994 1995 Sweden 1993 1994 1995 Finland 1993 1994 1995 Source:
ONS—Geographical breakdown of the balance of payments economic trends October 1996.
Investment income Years of surplus Denmark — — 1995 Germany — 1994 1995 Greece 1993 — — Ireland 1993 1994 1995 Italy 1993 1994 1995 Portugal — 1994 1995 Sweden 1993 1994 1995 Finland 1993 1994 1995 Source:
ONS—Geographical breakdown of the balance of payments economic trends October 1996.
§ Mrs. BeckettTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will rank the European Union countries by their balance in trade in goods with the rest of the European Union, based on figures for the latest available year (i) in pounds sterling and (ii) as a percentage of gross domestic product. [15936]
§ Mr. Lang[holding answer 14 February 1997]: The information requested is in the following table. For completeness, information is also included on the UK's balance of trade in services and in goods and services combined. For trade in services, data are not yet available for 1995 and the figures shown relate to 1993, which is the latest year for which an analysis of services earning by partner country is available. The country composition 248W of the tables reflects EU membership at the time. Overall, the current account is close to balance and at its strongest for a decade.
EU countries balance of trade with other members of the European Union Trade balance in goods (1995) Ranked according to: £billion As a percentage of GDP Netherlands 28.6 Ireland 18.4 Germany 19.8 Netherlands 11.4 Belgium/Luxembourg 11.4 Belgium/Luxembourg 6.3 Ireland 7.5 Finland 3.3 Italy 5 Germany 1.3 Finland 2.6 Sweden 1.2 Sweden 1.8 Denmark 0.9 Denmark 1.0 Italy 0.7 Portugal -3.7 France -0.5 UK -4.2 UK -0.6 France -5.3 Spain -1.8 Spain -6.4 Austria -5.4 Greece -6.8 Portugal -5.9 Austria -7.9 Greece -9.3
Trade balance in services (1993) £billion As a percentage of GDP Spain 6.9 Greece 4.2 France 4.8 Belgium/Luxembourg 3.1 Belgium/Luxembourg 4.6 Spain 2.1 Greece 2.0 Netherlands 0.9 Netherlands 1.8 Portugal 0.6 Italy 1.3 France 0.6 Portugal 0.3 Italy 0.2 Denmark —.1 Denmark -0.1 UK —1.0 UK -0.2 Germany -15.2 Germany -1.2 Ireland n/a Ireland n/a
Trade balance in goods and services (1993) £ billion As a percentage of GDP Netherlands 19.4 Netherlands 9.4 Belgium/Luxembourg 13.1 Belgium/Luxembourg 8.9 Italy 6.8 Denmark 2.2 France 2.1 Italy 1.0 Denmark 2.0 Spain 0.5 Spain 1.6 France 0.3 Portugal -3.6 Germany -0.5 Greece -3.6 UK -0.8 UK -5.3 Portugal -6.2 Germany -5.8 Greece -7.4 Ireland n/a Ireland n/a Sources:
Eurostat Intra and Extra EU Trade.
Eurostat International Trade in Services.
HM C and E Business Monitor MA20.
OECD Main Economic Indicators.
§ Mrs. BeckettTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will rank the European Union countries by their balance in trade in goods with countries outside the 249W European Union based on figures for the latest available year (i) in pounds sterling and (ii) as a percentage of gross domestic product. [15937]
§ Mr. Lang[holding answer 14 February 1997]: The information requested is in the following table. For completeness, information is also included on the UK's balance of trade in services and in goods and services combined. For trade in services, data are not yet available for 1995 and the figures shown relate to 1993 which is the latest year for which an analysis of services earning by partner country is available. The country composition of the tables reflects EU membership at the time. Overall the current account is close to balance and at its strongest for a decade.
EU countries balance of trade with countries outside the European Union Trade balance in goods (1995) Ranked according to £ billion As a percentage of GDP Germany 22.2 Finland 5.5 France 12.8 Sweden 5.3 Italy 12.2 Denmark 2.1 Sweden 7.7 Italy 1.8 Finland 4.4 Austria 1.7 Austria 2.5 Germany 1.5 Denmark 2.3 France 1.3 Ireland 0.1 Ireland 0.3 Greece -2.1 Spain -0.8 Belgium/Luxembourg -2.5 Belgium/Luxembourg -1.4 Portugal -2.5 UK -1.5 Spain -2.9 Greece -2.9 UK -10.4 Portugal -4.0 Netherlands -17.4 Netherlands -6.9
Trade balance in services (1993) £billion As a percentage of GDP France 7.2 Greece 4.1 UK 7.1 Denmark 1.9 Greece 2.0 UK 1.1 Denmark 1.7 France 0.9 Spain 1.5 Spain 0.5 Portugal 0.2 Portugal 0.4 Belgium/Luxembourg -0.1 Belgium/Luxembourg -0.1 Netherlands -0.8 Italy -0.2 Italy -1.1 Netherlands -0.4 Germany -16.3 Germany -1.3 Ireland n/a Ireland n/a 250W
Trade balance in goods and services (1993) £billion As a percentage of GDP France 13.0 Denmark 4.2 Italy 7.4 France 1.6 Denmark 3.8 Italy 1.1 Germany -0.8 Germany -0.1 Greece -1.4 Spain -0.6 Portugal -1.8 UK -1.2 Spain -1.8 Belgium/Luxembourg -1.5 Belgium/Luxembourg -2.1 Greece -2.8 UK -7.3 Portugal -3.1
Trade balance in goods and services (1993) £ billion As a percentage of GDP Netherlands -10.3 Netherlands -5.0 Ireland n/a Ireland n/a Sources:
Eurostat Intra and Extra EU Trade.
Eurostat International Trade in Services.
HM C and E. Business Monitor MM20.
OECD Main Economic Indicators.