Where did you get your stats from?
Main Trading Partners - 2008 €m
* Imports Exports
Great Britain and Northern Ireland 19,202.7 15,864.3
Other EU Countries 17,353.0 37,976.3
USA 6,762.8 16,674.3
Rest of World 14,266.3 15,879.5
Total 57,584.8 86,394.4
Source:
CSO - Statistics: Balance of Trade - Main Trading Partners
UK = 18%
EU = 44%
USA = 19%
RoW = 18%
At one point 85% of our exports went to the UK & US with the UK accounting for about 60% and they dictated the price they were prepared to pay. The EU with its single market allowed us to remove our dependency on the UK and stabilised our prices/income.
Queue Monty Python “What did the EU'ers ever do for us.......................
For me the most important thing the EU does is to force our politicians to think (i.e. invest, legislate, plan etc) longer term, not for four/five year cycles
I did hear one time that 72% of statistics are made up on the spot:-)