Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much (a) raw natural fibres comprising thread and raw materials such as wool and cotton and (b) man made fibres comprising thread and raw materials from for example polyester were (i) imported to and (ii) exported from the UK in each of the last 30 years.
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) are responsible for the collection and publication of data on imports and exports of goods to and from the UK. HMRC release this information monthly, as a National Statistic called the Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics (OTS), which is available via their dedicated website (www.uktradeinfo.com). From this website, it is possible to build data tables based upon bespoke search criteria.
HMRC use an 8-digit coding system to classify UK imports and exports which is used for UK Customs Tariff and trade statistics purposes. This coding system is based upon the internationally recognised Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS) developed by the World Customs Organisation: http://www.wcoomd.org/en/topics/nomenclature/overview/what-is-the-harmonized-system.aspx.
HMRC are unable to provide the requested trade data as the HS system does not classify goods as described in this question.