International sales from the service sector, in particular, exports from financial services were up £290m or 22.2 per cent, while exports from wholesale and retail were up £250m or 17.2 per cent.

Food and drink, firmly established as Scotland’s star performer, increased exports to £275m (5.3 per cent) to £5.5bn in 2016, driven by strong whisky exports (£4bn in 2016).

2)Mineral fuels including oil: $35.9 billion (12.1%)

3)Machinery including computers: $16.7 billion (5.6%)

4)Vehicles: $16.2 billion (5.5%)

5)Organic chemicals: $13.6 billion (4.6%)

6)Pharmaceuticals: $12.9 billion (4.4%)

7)Iron, steel: $11.7 billion (4%)

8)Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): $9 billion (3%)

9)Electrical machinery, equipment: $8.8 billion (3%)

10)Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: $8.3 billion (2.8%)

The top exports of China are Broadcasting Equipment($231B), Computers ($146B), Office Machine Parts($90.8B), Integrated Circuits ($80.1B) and Telephones($62B), using the 1992 revision of the HS (Harmonized System) classification. Its top imports are Integrated Circuits ($207B), Crude Petroleum ($144B), Iron Ore($59B), Cars ($46.8B) and Gold ($40.3B).         

China accounts for a significant proportion of global trade in natural resources such as aluminum, coal, copper, and iron ore. Some commodities such as coal, for example, are consumed in far greater numbers domestically and consumption far outweighs imports.