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UK trade deficit widens in September, official figures show | UK trade deficit widens in September, official figures show |
(35 minutes later) | |
The UK trade deficit widened to £5.2bn in September from £3.8bn in August, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. | The UK trade deficit widened to £5.2bn in September from £3.8bn in August, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. |
Exports decreased by £0.2bn, while imports increased by £1.2bn. | Exports decreased by £0.2bn, while imports increased by £1.2bn. |
The widening between imports and exports was in part driven by a record £8.7bn deficit with the European Union. | The widening between imports and exports was in part driven by a record £8.7bn deficit with the European Union. |
Although the pound fell sharply after the Brexit vote, the ONS said there was little direct evidence so far of currency effects on trade. | |
After June's referendum, the pound fell more than 10% against the dollar and the euro, hitting a 31-year low against the dollar, and lost further ground in October to hit its weakest-ever level against a basket of major currencies. | |
However, ONS statistician Hannah Finselbach said: "So far there is little evidence in the data of the lower pound feeding through into trade volume or prices." | |
Between the April-to-June and July-to-September quarters, the total trade deficit for goods and services narrowed by £1.6bn to £11bn. | |
There was a £4.5bn increase in goods exports and a £3.1bn increase in goods imports between the second and third quarters, partially offset by a £0.1bn decrease in services exports and a £0.3bn decrease in services imports. | |
Some manufacturers reported a jump in foreign demand after the pound's fall, but it can take time for this to show up in trade data. | |
In the three months to September, Britain's economy slowed much less than most economists had expected, with signs that it was supported by continued robust consumer spending. |
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