HL Deb 11 March 2004 vol 658 c193WA
Lord Pearson of Rannoch

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What proportion by value of goods, excluding agricultural and fishing produce, imported into the United Kingdom from countries which were not members of the European Union in 2002 effectively bore no import or customs duties. [HL1592]

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

Precise figures are not available but during the calendar year 2002, the proportion by value of goods, excluding agriculture, hunting, forestry, fishing and aquaculture produce, imported into the UK from non-EU countries, which effectively bore no import or customs duties, is estimated to be 68 per cent.

This estimate includes both goods for which the full rate of customs duty was zero and goods for which there was a positive rate of customs duty but preferential arrangements allowed a zero rate to be claimed.