Jan goods deficit ex metals -GBP7.756bn vs..>

UK DATA: Jan goods deficit ex metals -GBP7.756bn vs -GBP7.193bn Dec 

- UK Q4 total deficit revised lower to GBP6.6bn

- UK Jan total surplus GBP4.212bn from GBP6.279bn Dec

- UK Jan goods balance -GBP3.720bn from -GBP1.418bn Dec

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The UK goods trade deficit -- stripped of the volatile precious metals 

category -- widened slightly in January, with exports falling 0.9% from 

December and imports rising 0.7%. The total trade balance, ex precious 

metals, declined to GBP176 million from GBP504million in December. Heavy 

trade in non-monetary gold has distorted the trade data in recent 

months. The headline surplus in Q4, which feeds into GDP data, was 

revised down by GBP500 million to GBP6.6 billion on a price-adjusted 

basis. However, a National Statistics official declined to comment on 

whether the revision will decrease net trade's 1.56 percentage point 

boost to Q4 GDP.