To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish a table showing imports and exports from the EEC and from the rest of the world of (a) manufactures and (b) manufactures less erratics in 1970, 1973, 1979, 1988, 1989, 1990 and the current year to date.
[holding answer 23 July 1991]: The available information is shown in the following table.
United Kingdom Trade in Manufactured Goods1
| £ billion
| |||
Imports
| Exports
| |||
EC (11) (incl GDR)
| Rest of World
| EC (11) (incl GDR)
| Rest of World
| |
| 19702 | — | — | — | — |
| 19732 3 | 3·6 | 5·1 | 3·3 | 6·8 |
| 1979 | 16·1 | 13·6 | 12·9 | 18·0 |
| less erratics | 15·2 | 9·4 | 11·5 | 13·3 |
| 1988 | 45·9 | 37·6 | 32·4 | 33·8 |
| less erratics | 44·8 | 32·7 | 29·9 | 27·6 |
| 1989 | 52·8 | 43·3 | 38·1 | 38·4 |
| less erratics | 51·6 | 37·7 | 35·6 | 31·1 |
| 1990 | 54·1 | 44·1 | 44·3 | 40·2 |
| less erratics | 52·8 | 37·8 | 41·4 | 32·7 |
| 1991 (Jan-Mar) | 12·3 | 10·1 | 11·1 | 8·6 |
| less erratics | 12·0 | 8·8 | 10·4 | 7·1 |
| 1991 (Jan-May)4 | 20·6 | 17·5 | 19·7 | 15·2 |
Source: Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom.
1 Manufactured goods have been defined as Sections 5 to 8 of the Standard International Trade Classification (Rev. 3). Erratics include: Pearls, semi-precious stones, silver, aircraft and associated equipment, ships and boats.
2 Statistics on trade in manufactured goods for 1970, and erratics for 1973, could not be provided without disproportionate cost.
3 The EC figures for 1973 exclude the German Democratic Republic, which is included in the rest of the world figures.
4 Erratics data for the current year to date are not yet available.