asked the Minister for Trade what has been the export-import ratio for United Kingdom trade with the other member States of the European Community, the rest of Western Europe, North America and Japan in each year since 1972; and what was the export-import ratio for manufactured goods with these areas in 1981.
The information is as follows:
| Export/Import Ratios*of United Kingdom Trade | ||||
| per cent. | ||||
| Trade with: | Rest of European Community† | Western Europe excluding EC | North America | Japan |
| (a) Total Trade‡ | ||||
| 1972 | 83 | 89 | 95 | 55 |
| 1973 | 74 | 79 | 87 | 61 |
| 1974 | 72 | 81 | 77 | 56 |
| 1975 | 71 | 92 | 78 | 46 |
| 1976 | 80 | 93 | 79 | 45 |
| 1977 | 86 | 96 | 82 | 44 |
| 1978 | 84 | 84 | 85 | 42 |
| 1979 | 87 | 82 | 82 | 41 |
| 1980 | 104 | 99 | 76 | 35 |
| 1981 | 100 | 87 | 100 | 28 |
| (b) Manufactures ║ ¶ | ||||
| 1981 | 81 | 88 | 79 | 23 |
Notes:
* Exports divided by imports expressed as a percentage.
† Including Greece, Denmark, and Ireland throughout.
‡ With the exception of Japan for which only data on an Overseas Trade Statistics basis are available, these ratios are derived from data on Balance of Payments basis. For comparison purposes, the ratios in 1981 on Overseas Trade Statistics basis for the European Community, rest of the Western Europe, and North America respectively were 97, 81, and 94.
Taken as Standard International Trade Classification sections 5 to 8.
¶ Exports and imports on Overseas Trade Statistics basis—i.e. exports fob; imports cif.
Source: Overseas Trade Statistics.