Scottish manufacturing export sales increased by 4.3 per cent in the year to the end of September 2007, Scotland's Chief Statistician announced today.
The other findings of the Scottish Manufactured Exports Estimates report are that Scottish manufactured export sales decreased by 5.1 per cent in real terms in the third quarter of 2007, compared to the second quarter. This included a fall of 15.7 per cent in manufactured export sales, with other sectors showing decline including chemicals & refined petroleum, food & tobacco and textiles, and fur & leather. However, growth was seen in drinks exports, wood, paper, publishing and printing and metals and metal products.
Over the year to the end of the third quarter of 2007, engineering and drink were the main industries contributing to the sales growth with annual growth of 6.5 per cent and 9.6 per cent respectively. Increases were also seen in the metals & metal products and wood, paper, publishing & printing sectors. The main industry showing a decline in manufactured export sales in real terms was chemicals, with an annual decrease of 7.5 per cent. Food & tobacco, textiles, fur & leather, other manufacturing and electrical & instrument engineering also fell over the year.
Commenting on the release of the figures, Enterprise Minister Jim Mather said the Scottish Government is committed to making Scotland's more competitive in order to increase exports and achieve the government's objective of increased sustainable growth.
He said: “The mixed picture on exports mean we cannot afford to be satisfied and need to aspire to increasing our exports much further.
“That aspiration is a crucial part of the Government's Economic Strategy and we know that our moves on refocusing the Enterprise Networks, reforming the planning system and lowering business rates will help achieve that goal.
“And we are also doing much more by holding consultation sessions with industry sectors such as Electronics, Engineering, Life Sciences and Textiles, which have been enthusiastically received, where we are helping their member businesses collaborate and co-operate in order to be more competitive abroad. This also means that we are working with these industries to identify and remove constraints to growth and encouraging more co-operation across sectoral boundaries.
“We believe this will deliver both better export results in the short term and boost support for Scotland to gain the powers needed to take our competitiveness to new heights.”
Responding to the figures, Labour's Shadow Enterprise Minister Elaine Murray MSP said: "Although the third quarter's results were disappointing, a 4.3 per cent increase in manufactured exports over the year is welcome news for Scotland's exports industry.
"The recent data reinforces the view that the Scottish economy is currently performing well and expanding."
CBI Scotland's assistant director, David Lonsdale, said: “Scottish industry has performed well over the past few years. However, our own surveys suggest some of that recent sparkle has worn off, with optimism over export prospects for the year ahead having dipped amongst Scots firms.
“The success of manufacturers will largely depend on their own products, talents and ability to respond to customer demand, and the support on offer from Scottish Enterprise's Manufacturing Advisory Service is welcome recognition of this. That said, external factors can and do affect firms and we will continue to lobby policy makers to keep a firm lid on those costs under their control and influence that affect business, particularly taxes, charges, regulation and planning.”
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