Later this month, the annual figures on Scotland’s export trade will be published.
These official figures from the Scottish Government will prove just how important our trade with the rest of the UK is for the economy, and for jobs.
People deserve the truth about the economic impact of leaving the UK.
Last year’s Exports Statistics Scotland (ESS) revealed that our home market trade with the rest of the UK is worth more than the rest of the world combined and helps support 545,000 jobs in Scotland.
Scotland also trades more with non-EU countries than it does with the EU itself.
The figures revealed the following:
Scotland’s export trade with:
Rest of the world: £17.6 billion (22%)
European Union: £14.9 billion (18%)
Rest of the UK (our home market): £48.9 billion (60%)
Over £9billion of exports from Scotland to the rest of the UK is based on providing financial services, which is largely reliant on us being part of the UK and using the British pound.
These are two things which Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP want to take away from us, costing jobs and hurting our economy.
Why would we put this trade at risk by leaving the UK?
An independent Scotland would be unlikely to have any say on its future trade relationship with the UK. That’s because the SNP wants to apply to join the EU as a separate country, which would require accepting the EU’s post-Brexit trade agreement with the UK.
Nicola Sturgeon has also refused to rule out a hard border between Scotland and England. That could mean border checks, disruption to trade and travel, as well as a partition between friends and families.
Scotland deserves better.