The 8th most popular cola.
The UK has apparently overtaken France to be the 8th largest industrial power in the world. The figures need to be taken with a pinch of salt because we have competed with France for the 8th and 9th spot for decades now and only been ahead 3 times.
Better to say that we are tied for 8th place.
But the largest manufacturing nations are China, USA, Japan and then Germany. While our manufacturing is worth $272b, China’s is worth $4.9trillion.
Which helps explain why we have ministers talking tough about China at home and then visiting China to be seen with the big boys. We are a distant 8th and we know it.
Which is a pity because the EU combined is a far larger manufacturer.
In fact it is easily in the top three, pushing Japan into a distant third place, with the UK as a member it might be number 2, it is pretty much neck and neck with the USA.
Remember those figures next time you hear some Brexiteer droning on about the new role of Britain in the world, our power and influence.
We left a huge, powerful influential club, a club that has just launched an investigation into Chinese electric car subsidies and has forced Apple to change its rechargers. Can you see the UK doing that, or more to the point anyone caring if the UK did that?
In short, can you name the 8th or 9th largest brand of cola in the world?
Do you care?
Economics, trade and Brexit, not necessarily in that order but the dog always comes first.
By Jonty Bloom Media