1) International trade is huge in the UK. Exporting nearly £32
billion of exports to the U.S., £28 billion to Germany, and £19 billion to both
France and the Netherlands, the UK lies within the top ten exporting countries
in the world. The UK’s biggest export in
2011 was nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances. Mineral fuels, mineral oils, and products of
their distillation came in second, followed by vehicles and their parts and
accessories. In general, the UK exports
manufactured goods, fuel, chemicals, food, beverages, and tobacco. In 2013, total UK exports were valued at about
£283.2 billion ($475.7 billion).
The
following diagram shows the exports of the UK, with the top ten exported
products aligned in order on the bottom of the diagram.
The
top trade partners for imports to the UK are Germany, China, the Netherlands,
and the U.S.. Germany is the source for 12.6% of imports, China 8%, the
Netherlands 7.5%, and the U.S. 6.7%. The
UK imports manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, and crops/foodstuffs. In 2013, total UK imports were valued at
about £384.5 billion ($646 billion).
2) The currency in the UK is the British Pound (GBP or £). The current exchange rate in the UK is 1 GBP
= 1.68 USD. In most recent exchange rate
history, the rate is currently the highest it has been in the past 180 days,
which hit April 16, 2014. The lowest in
the last 180 days was about 1 GBP = 1.589 USD November 12, 2013. The average exchange rate is normally 1 GBP =
1.646 USD.
3) The most current refugee statistics (from 2012) and their country of
origin are:
15,132
(Somalia) 9,842
(Afghanistan)
12,155
(Zimbabwe) 5,752
(Iraq)
11,428
(Iran) 9,901
(Eritrea)
Under
international refugee law, a refugee is defined as a person who seeks refuge in
a foreign country because of war and violence, or out of fear of
persecution. Refugees seek protection
under the United Nations 1951 Refugee Convention, or from member states of the
European Union. This exercises of the
EU’s “Four Freedoms”. Since 1994, the number
of people migrating to the UK has been greater than the number emigrating. In 2012, immigration into the UK was 497,000
and emigration was 321,000. This is a
net migration of 176,000. In most recent
estimates, net migration has risen to an annual average of 201,000. Most immigrants come to the UK from other EU
countries (32%) and non-EU countries (52%), leaving 16% of people migrating to
the UK as British nationals. Most
immigrants to the UK come from China, India, Poland, the U.S., and Australia.
4) The UK maintains good relationships with mostly every country. The UK’s relationship with both Iraq and
China can be seen as controversial and/or complicated, but close. Present British policy maintains that the
relationship with the United States represents their “most important bilateral
relationship” and vice versa.
Historically, UK forces have invaded, had some control over, or fought
conflicts in 171 of the world’s 193 countries that are now United Nations
member states. Well known wars that the
UK has taken part in are the Seven Years’ War, the War of 1812, WWI, WWII, the
Korean War, the Gulf War, the War in Afghanistan, and the Iraq War. Currently, there are no big conflicts that
the UK is involved in.
www.parliament.uk/.../sn06077.pdf
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