UK Regional Trade in Goods estimates are released today, for the first quarter of 2009.
Exports
* The total value of UK exports for the 12 months ending March 2009 was £243,018m, an increase of £17,174m (7.6 per cent) compared to the 12 months ending March 2008.
* During the same period the total value of exports for England rose by 7.2 per cent to £176,322m. Exports from Wales rose by 16.2 per cent to £10,624m, exports from Scotland rose by 3.5 per cent to £14,243m, and exports from Northern Ireland rose by 8.0 per cent to £6,038m.
* Within England, the South East had the largest total value of exports of £40,049m for the 12 months ending March 2009. The North East had the smallest total value of exports of £10,800m.
* The largest regional percentage change for this period was for the South East region which increased by 15.7 per cent to £40,049m. The West Midlands region had the smallest change, a decrease in exports of 1.1 per cent to £15,669m.
* The number of exporters in the UK for Quarter 1 2009 compared with the same quarter last year, decreased by 0.4 per cent to 49,126. Northern Ireland had the largest percentage change in the number of exporters, an increase of 3.5 per cent to 1,403. London had the largest decrease of 2.5 per cent to 8,366.
Imports
* The total value of UK imports for the 12 months ending March 2009 was £333,052m, an increase of £14,922m (4.7 per cent) compared to the 12 months ending March 2008.
* During the same period the total value of imports for England rose by 2.6 per cent to £268,120m. Imports to Wales rose by 14.9 per cent to £7,735m, imports to Scotland rose by 8.9 per cent to £10,578m and imports to Northern Ireland rose by 14.6 per cent to £5,689m.
* Within England, the South East has the largest total value of imports of £69,527m. The smallest total value for imports is in the North East of £8,706m.
* The largest regional percentage change for this period was for the North West region which increased by 13.4 per cent to £25,468m. The smallest change was for the East region which saw an increase of 0.1 per cent in imports to £43,997m.
* The number of importers in the UK for Quarter 1 2009 compared with the same quarter last year, decreased by 6.9 per cent to 70,068. West Midlands had the largest percentage decrease of 9.7 per cent to 6,440. There were no regions or countries where the number of importers increased.
1 Figures refer to the percentage change between the rolling years 2007 Q2 to 2008 Q1 and 2008 Q2 to 2009 Q1
Source: Regional Trade Statistics, HM Revenue & Customs
Notes for editors
1. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has today published a set of new regional trade statistics figures for the first quarter 2009. The 2008 and 2009 data are provisional, and subject to the normal updates in overseas trade statistics relating to late receipt and amendments of trade declarations.
2. The News Release uses the EU27 country group as from Quarter one, 2007, including Bulgaria and Romania. A corresponding change follows for the non-EU country group.
3. Data is taken primarily from Customs systems (for non-EU trade) and the Intrastat survey. HMRC does not receive information in respect of goods that move wholly within the UK, nor in intangibles and services such as banking or tourism. Trade is mainly allocated to a region by the postcode associated with a company's VAT registration.
4. Some adjustments have been necessary in the production of export statistics by region to ensure manufacturing that takes place at branch premises is properly allocated to the region where the branch is situated. However, adjustments are not made to import statistics and therefore, in some cases, trade has been allocated to the region where the head office is situated.
5. Regional Trade Statistics (RTS) total values differ slightly from the UK level Overseas Trade Statistics; RTS includes estimates made for EU trade below the Intrastat threshold, which are included in the 'Unknown region'. The RTS does not include estimates for non-response or estimates for the missing EU Imports associated with Missing Trader Intra-Community VAT Fraud (MTIC Fraud).
6. The estimates relating to trade in goods within classification codes that have changed since the previous year are not assigned to a region but are included within 'Unknown region' for completeness.
7. Aggregated tables are produced to facilitate time series analysis; these tables are provided in a separate document released in conjunction with this News Release.
8. Information on the methodology used for the Regional Trade Statistics time series can be obtained from the National Statistics website accessed via http://www.statistics.gov.uk and also on the trade statistics information website http://www.uktradeinfo.com.
9. The Regional Trade in Goods figures are in the scope of National Statistics. National Statistics are produced to high professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. They undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure they meet customer needs. They are produced free from any political interference.
10. A recent change has taken place to the Customs administrative
data source used in the compilation of the RTS. More detail on this can be found at https://http://www.uktradeinfo.com/pagecontent/downloads/RTS_EORI_web.pdf
The Quarter 2, 2009 RTS - to be published on 10 September 2009 - will be the first data to be affected. The impact of the change will be monitored and reviewed by the Trade Statistics Unit.
11. The next release will be published on 10 September 2009. This will include revised data for 2008 to 2009 plus a set of new regional trade statistics figures for the second quarter 2009.
For further information please contact:
uktradeinfo Customer Services,
HM Revenue & Customs: Trade Statistics
3rd Floor Central,
Alexander House,
21 Victoria Avenue,
Southend-on-Sea,
SS99 1AA
Telephone: 01702 367485
E-mail: uktradeinfo@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk,
Fax: 01702 366596
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Information about HM Revenue & Customs can be found on our website: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk For this news release and other information visit http://www.uktradeinfo.com for authoritative and up to date information on UK Trade.
If using specific facts contained in this release please check the information is still current.
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