European Free Trade Association

Mr. Moate
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the latest figures for the United Kingdom surplus/deficit for visible trade with EFTA, and for invisible trade with EFTA, in 1973.

Sir G. Howe
An estimate of the visible trade deficit on a balance of payments basis has not yet been compiled for 1973 but the "crude" balance—that is, the difference between imports cif and exports fob as recorded in the Overseas Trade--------------------------
|                    | | |
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|                    | | |
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|Ethylene            |…|…|
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|Passenger cars‡     |…|…|
--------------------------
|Commercial vehicles§|…|…|
--------------------------
|Monochrome          |…|…|
--------------------------
|Colour              |…|…|
--------------------------
|Cement              |…|…|
--------------------------
|Coal                |…|…|
--------------------------
|Gas sent out        |…|…|
--------------------------
|Crude steel         |…|…|
--------------------------
--------------------------
|                    | | |
--------------------------
|                    | | |
--------------------------
|Ethylene            |…|…|
--------------------------
|Passenger cars‡     |…|…|
--------------------------
|Commercial vehicles§|…|…|
--------------------------
|Monochrome          |…|…|
--------------------------
|Colour              |…|…|
--------------------------
|Cement              |…|…|
--------------------------
|Coal                |…|…|
--------------------------
|Gas sent out        |…|…|
--------------------------
|Crude steel         |…|…|
--------------------------

Statistics—can be obtained from Tables II and V in the December issue of the Overseas Trade Statistics, an advance copy of which is in the House of Commons Library. Estimates of the invisible balance are not compiled.