I propose to take Questions Nos. 117 and 118 together.
The following details relate solely to merchandise trade. The details with regard to imports are classified according to country of consignment as distinct from country of origin.
Tables 1 and 2 give imports and exports respectively of the top 12 countries in terms of value of trade for each of the last five years; 1999 is included also for reference purposes.
Tables 3 and 4 give similar details where the ranking is done on the basis of year-on-year increases in the value of trade for each country.
In the context of these tables the lower the value of "Rank" the more significant the actual trade value or the year-on-year increase as the case may be.
Table 1
Imports — Merchandise Value
|
Rank
|
|
1999
|
2000
|
2001
|
2002
|
2003
|
2004
|
|
|
€(000)
|
€(000)
|
€(000)
|
€(000)
|
€(000)
|
€(000)
|
1
|
Great Britain
|
15,331,573
|
19,008,683
|
21,493,713
|
22,112,229
|
15,899,021
|
16,834,754
|
2
|
United States
|
6,681,824
|
8,353,195
|
7,923,385
|
7,953,416
|
6,751,531
|
6,411,808
|
3
|
Germany
|
2,782,536
|
3,356,369
|
3,612,006
|
3,769,472
|
3,889,267
|
4,398,351
|
4
|
France
|
|
2,515,974
|
2,684,814
|
2,128,099
|
|
|
|
Japan
|
2,033,687
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Netherlands
|
|
|
|
|
1,976,281
|
2,158,211
|
5
|
France
|
1,774,611
|
|
|
|
1,792,567
|
2,118,278
|
|
Japan
|
|
2,128,632
|
|
|
|
|
|
Netherlands
|
|
|
2,156,171
|
2,090,110
|
|
|
6
|
China
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,056,786
|
|
Japan
|
|
|
|
1,351,628
|
1,549,662
|
|
|
Netherlands
|
|
2,059,122
|
|
|
|
|
|
Northern Ireland
|
|
|
1,489,040
|
|
|
|
|
Singapore
|
1,717,021
|
|
|
|
|
|
7
|
China
|
|
|
|
|
1,422,406
|
|
|
Japan
|
|
|
1,481,526
|
|
|
|
|
Netherlands
|
1,546,157
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Northern Ireland
|
|
|
|
1,215,381
|
|
1,387,105
|
|
Singapore
|
|
1,961,097
|
|
|
|
|
8
|
EU Unknown
|
|
1,484,516
|
|
1,145,605
|
|
|
|
Japan
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,309,776
|
|
Northern Ireland
|
1,374,708
|
|
|
|
1,279,947
|
|
|
Singapore
|
|
|
1,323,374
|
|
|
|
9
|
Belgium
|
|
|
|
1,002,700
|
|
|
|
EU Unknown
|
1,275,092
|
|
1,311,338
|
|
|
|
|
Northern Ireland
|
|
1,479,755
|
|
|
|
|
|
Norway
|
|
|
|
|
1,229,404
|
1,178,802
|
10
|
Belgium
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,153,803
|
|
Italy
|
|
1,191,353
|
1,199,347
|
|
|
|
|
Singapore
|
|
|
|
956,217
|
1,026,720
|
|
|
Taiwan
|
825,930
|
|
|
|
|
|
11
|
Belgium
|
|
1,064,865
|
1,048,263
|
|
967,374
|
|
|
Italy
|
808,667
|
|
|
908,533
|
|
982,979
|
12
|
Belgium
|
705,515
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Italy
|
|
|
|
|
925,404
|
|
|
Norway
|
|
1,062,228
|
|
|
|
|
|
Switzerland
|
|
|
|
|
|
956,647
|
|
Taiwan
|
|
|
990,198
|
881,696
|
|
|
Table 2
Exports — Merchandise Value
|
Rank
|
|
1999
|
2000
|
2001
|
2002
|
2003
|
2004
|
|
|
€(000)
|
€(000)
|
€(000)
|
€(000)
|
€(000)
|
€(000)
|
1
|
Great Britain
|
13,247,558
|
17,123,851
|
20,793,808
|
20,886,658
|
|
|
|
United States
|
|
|
|
|
16,939,245
|
16,519,949
|
2
|
Great Britain
|
|
|
|
|
13,458,262
|
13,502,526
|
|
United States
|
10,336,842
|
14,227,805
|
15,694,396
|
16,509,438
|
|
|
3
|
Belgium
|
|
|
|
13,549,307
|
10,336,125
|
12,320,147
|
|
Germany
|
8,013,810
|
9,428,588
|
11,682,508
|
|
|
|
4
|
France
|
5,646,394
|
6,357,411
|
5,541,568
|
|
|
|
|
Germany
|
|
|
|
6,740,417
|
6,858,922
|
6,497,138
|
5
|
Belgium
|
|
|
4,446,178
|
|
|
|
|
France
|
|
|
|
4,693,372
|
5,022,850
|
5,044,908
|
|
Netherlands
|
4,190,297
|
4,705,719
|
|
|
|
|
6
|
Belgium
|
3,439,825
|
4,115,540
|
|
|
|
|
|
Italy
|
|
|
|
3,601,523
|
|
|
|
Netherlands
|
|
|
4,263,614
|
|
4,262,806
|
3,865,526
|
7
|
Italy
|
2,533,052
|
3,319,427
|
3,311,898
|
|
3,750,176
|
3,806,985
|
|
Netherlands
|
|
|
|
3,511,632
|
|
|
8
|
Japan
|
1,958,960
|
3,122,860
|
3,261,074
|
|
|
|
|
Switzerland
|
|
|
|
3,103,770
|
2,603,265
|
2,761,410
|
9
|
Japan
|
|
|
|
2,630,798
|
|
|
|
Spain
|
1,842,740
|
2,126,907
|
|
|
2,363,260
|
2,436,082
|
|
Switzerland
|
|
|
2,705,698
|
|
|
|
10
|
Japan
|
|
|
|
|
2,109,434
|
2,332,594
|
|
Spain
|
|
|
2,297,985
|
2,242,629
|
|
|
|
Switzerland
|
1,618,754
|
2,033,164
|
|
|
|
|
11
|
Northern Ireland
|
1,515,098
|
1,785,984
|
1,864,520
|
1,610,716
|
1,408,331
|
1,432,574
|
12
|
Sweden
|
1,096,185
|
1,336,973
|
1,355,024
|
1,203,052
|
1,164,111
|
1,113,809
|
Table 3
Imports — Merchandise year-on-year value increases
|
Rank
|
|
2000
|
2001
|
2002
|
2003
|
2004
|
|
|
€(000)
|
€(000)
|
€(000)
|
€(000)
|
€(000)
|
1
|
China
|
|
|
|
543,706
|
|
|
Great Britain
|
3,677,110
|
2,485,030
|
618,516
|
|
935,733
|
2
|
China
|
|
|
194,369
|
|
634,380
|
|
Germany
|
|
255,637
|
|
|
|
|
Norway
|
|
|
|
369,254
|
|
|
United States
|
1,671,371
|
|
|
|
|
3
|
China
|
|
241,332
|
|
|
|
|
France
|
741,363
|
|
|
|
|
|
Germany
|
|
|
157,466
|
|
509,084
|
|
Japan
|
|
|
|
198,034
|
|
4
|
Denmark
|
|
|
|
154,835
|
|
|
France
|
|
168,840
|
|
|
325,711
|
|
Germany
|
573,833
|
|
|
|
|
|
Switzerland
|
|
|
80,959
|
|
|
5
|
Finland
|
|
|
67,375
|
|
|
|
Germany
|
|
|
|
119,795
|
|
|
Norway
|
528,006
|
|
|
|
|
|
Switzerland
|
|
128,067
|
|
|
258,279
|
6
|
Austria
|
|
|
60,142
|
|
|
|
Canada
|
|
127,547
|
|
|
|
|
Netherlands
|
512,965
|
|
|
|
|
|
Switzerland
|
|
|
|
83,286
|
|
|
Taiwan
|
|
|
|
|
187,116
|
7
|
Belgium
|
|
|
|
|
186,429
|
|
Italy
|
382,686
|
|
|
|
|
|
Singapore
|
|
|
|
70,503
|
|
|
Taiwan
|
|
115,312
|
|
|
|
|
Turkey
|
|
|
40,141
|
|
|
8
|
Belgium
|
359,350
|
|
|
|
|
|
Czech Republic
|
|
|
33,935
|
|
|
|
Mexico
|
|
101,126
|
|
|
|
|
Netherlands
|
|
|
|
|
181,930
|
|
Northern Ireland
|
|
|
|
64,566
|
|
9
|
Canada
|
|
|
|
62,599
|
|
|
Denmark
|
312,841
|
|
|
|
|
|
Netherlands
|
|
97,049
|
|
|
|
|
Northern Ireland
|
|
|
|
|
107,158
|
|
United States
|
|
|
30,031
|
|
|
10
|
Costa Rica
|
|
|
25,162
|
|
|
|
EU Unknown
|
|
|
|
|
105,041
|
|
Hong Kong
|
259,088
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hungary
|
|
84,813
|
|
|
|
|
South Africa
|
|
|
|
45,578
|
|
11
|
Saudi Arabia
|
|
|
24,720
|
|
|
|
South Korea
|
254,914
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sweden
|
|
|
|
|
77,044
|
|
Thailand
|
|
84,575
|
|
|
|
|
Turkey
|
|
|
|
39,123
|
|
12
|
Brazil
|
|
|
|
29,214
|
|
|
Hong Kong
|
|
|
24,677
|
|
69,853
|
|
Romania
|
|
55,989
|
|
|
|
|
Singapore
|
244,076
|
|
|
|
|
Table 4
Exports — Merchandise year-on-year value increases
|
Rank
|
|
2000
|
2001
|
2002
|
2003
|
2004
|
|
|
€(000)
|
€(000)
|
€(000)
|
€(000)
|
€(000)
|
1
|
Belgium
|
|
|
9,103,129
|
|
1,984,022
|
|
Great Britain
|
|
3,669,957
|
|
|
|
|
Netherlands
|
|
|
|
751,174
|
|
|
United States
|
3,890,963
|
|
|
|
|
2
|
Germany
|
|
2,253,920
|
|
|
|
|
Great Britain
|
3,876,293
|
|
|
|
|
|
Japan
|
|
|
|
|
223,160
|
|
United States
|
|
|
815,042
|
429,807
|
|
3
|
France
|
|
|
|
329,478
|
|
|
Germany
|
1,414,778
|
|
|
|
|
|
Switzerland
|
|
|
398,072
|
|
158,145
|
|
United States
|
|
1,466,591
|
|
|
|
4
|
Hong Kong
|
|
|
|
154,230
|
144,579
|
|
Italy
|
|
|
289,625
|
|
|
|
Japan
|
1,163,900
|
|
|
|
|
|
Switzerland
|
|
672,534
|
|
|
|
5
|
China
|
|
|
200,194
|
|
|
|
Italy
|
786,375
|
|
|
148,653
|
|
|
Malaysia
|
|
386,790
|
|
|
|
|
Singapore
|
|
|
|
|
132,163
|
6
|
Belgium
|
|
330,638
|
|
|
|
|
France
|
711,017
|
|
|
|
|
|
Israel
|
|
|
|
|
101,710
|
|
Singapore
|
|
|
98,002
|
|
|
|
Spain
|
|
|
|
120,631
|
|
7
|
Australia
|
|
|
|
|
88,455
|
|
Germany
|
|
|
|
118,505
|
|
|
Great Britain
|
|
|
92,850
|
|
|
|
Mexico
|
|
297,558
|
|
|
|
|
South Korea
|
684,710
|
|
|
|
|
8
|
Australia
|
|
254,101
|
|
|
|
|
Belgium
|
675,715
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mexico
|
|
|
|
61,984
|
|
|
South Korea
|
|
|
|
|
78,190
|
|
Unknown (Non-EU)
|
|
|
88,151
|
|
|
9
|
Canada
|
|
197,961
|
|
|
|
|
China
|
|
|
|
46,316
|
|
|
Netherlands
|
515,422
|
|
|
|
|
|
Portugal
|
|
|
52,344
|
|
|
|
Spain
|
|
|
|
|
72,822
|
10
|
India
|
|
|
24,321
|
|
|
|
Switzerland
|
414,410
|
|
|
|
|
|
Taiwan
|
|
177,457
|
|
|
69,919
|
|
Thailand
|
|
|
|
33,073
|
|
11
|
China
|
|
171,957
|
|
|
|
|
Italy
|
|
|
|
|
56,809
|
|
Luxembourg
|
|
|
|
29,250
|
|
|
Spain
|
284,167
|
|
|
|
|
|
Turkey
|
|
|
17,366
|
|
|
12
|
Brazil
|
|
|
|
16,470
|
|
|
China
|
|
|
|
|
54,234
|
|
Hong Kong
|
284,123
|
|
|
|
|
|
Russia
|
|
|
15,134
|
|
|
|
Spain
|
|
171,078
|
|
|
|