Three new commodity price indices have been compiled by the National Institute and appear in table 20 of the Statistical Appendix (page 50). Their purpose is to give an early (but necessarily rough) indication of current price movements in three trade flows:

1. (a) in United Kingdom imports, with sub-indices for food and tobacco, industrial materials and fuel,

2. (b) in the exports of the overseas sterling area,

3. (c) in the exports of primary producing countries in total.