BRITISH INDUSTRIALISTS FAIL IN EXPORT FIELD by Pat Jordan
Striking evidence of the inefficiency and inadequacy of British big business was given in the latest issue of the Board of Trade Journal, This contained a special survey entitled "Trends in Inited Kingdom and World Exports of Manufactures." This 24=-page supplement contains pages and pages of tables comparing the performance of British and other countries! export endeavours. The poor perforamce by British industry is, perhaps, best shown in the table comparing the exports of manufactures by main exporting countries. This showed how the exports had changed each year, and I have reproduced the figures fo¥ fast five years: Country Percentage change on a year earlier
1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 United King?an +4.6 +6.6 +40 +264 +607
West Germany +11.6 +16.8 +10.6 +427 +10.0
Belgiumn-Luxemburgs +9.5 414.3 +324 +9.9 +928
France +1504 +21.4 42.9 +346 +862
Italy +16.5 +34e4 +16.7 +11.4 +1023
Netherlands +16.0 +12.2 +9.0 +604 +10.7 Sweden +7268 +17.9 +11.9 +10.9 £+10.2 Switzerland +8.7 +11.3 +8.8 +8.4 +8.1 United States -1.5 +17.8 +0.1 +5ele +503 Canada +7Tel +523 +0.2 +405 +74
World total +8.0 +1525 +524 +61 +8.4
Serutiny of these figures will show that the U.K. lagzed behind every other country with the sole exception of the U.S (and to a lesser extent, Canada). Britain's average rise per annum over the last ten years was 5.3% compared with a world averaze of nearly 94. Of the industrinlised countries only Canada had a lower figuree
Another important feature revealed in the survey's figures was the extent to which trade between the industrialised countries has been growing much faster than between the industrialised countries and the primary producing countries, As a result, the proportion of world exports of manufactures going to industrial markets went up from 50% in 1954 to 65% in 1963. In the past five years Britain's exports to the primary producing countries (in general, the under-developed countries) have inweswed at a slower rate than her exports to the industrialised countriess In fact, in 1959, 1961 and 1962 there were decreases in the figures. FEritish businessmen, not spurred by any social consideration, preferred the markets in the already industrialised countries. For instance British exports to EEC countries went up 11.6% in 19593 12.2% in 1960; 22.%% in 1961; 14.3% in 1962;and 13.9% in 1963. ‘Thus, in search of quick profits British exports were distorted to depend upon what would become an increasingly protectionist market.
The whole pattern of world trade (and British exports in particular) is an argument for socialism. Present ‘trends are making the poor, countries poorer and the rich countries richer. A socialist Britain, taking” ~ social awnership the basic industries would plan trade to assist the under-developed countries to rapidly industrial themselves instead of tr ing to sell more motor cars to Europe and North /merica. This would not be social justice but 4 also the only long-term way of balancing Britain's trade.