In the first quarter of 2025, the value of exports from the United Kingdom amounted to approximately 227 billion British pounds, while imports to the country amounted to around 238 billion pounds, resulting in a trade deficit of around 10.6 billion pounds in this quarter. During this time period, the value of UK exports was highest in the fourth quarter of 2022, with the value of imports peaking in the third quarter of 2022. The UK's main trade partners Despite the UK leaving the EU in 2020 following the Brexit referendum of 2016, Europe remains the main destination for UK exports, with almost half of UK exports heading there in 2023. During the same year, just over 60 percent of imports came from European countries, compared with around 17.9 percent from countries in Asia, and 11.8 percent from the Americas. In terms of individual countries, the United States was the UK's leading export partner for both goods and services from the UK, while Germany was the main source of UK goods imports, and the U.S. for service imports. It is as yet unclear how the return of Donald Trump to the White House will impact UK/US trade relations, should the President follow through with threats made on the campaign trail to increase trade tariffs. Brexit rethink under Starmer? Although generally more pro-European than the previous government, the new Labour government, led by Keir Starmer, does not plan to rejoin the European Union, or the Single Market. Public opinion, while gradually turning against Brexit recently, has not coalesced around a particular trading relationship. In late 2023, a survey indicated that while 31 percent of British adults wanted to rejoin the EU, a further 30 percent wanted to simply improve relations with the EU, instead of rejoining. Just 11 percent of respondents wanted to join the single market but not the EU, while 10 percent were happy with the relationship as it was. At the start of 2025, after several months in office, the new government has not signalled any major change in direction regarding on this, but has broadly signalled it wants a better relationship with the EU.
In the first quarter of 2025, the United Kingdom had a trade deficit of 10.6 billion British pounds, due to a 59 billion pound deficit in goods trade offset by a 48 billion pound trade surplus in services.
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The United Kingdom recorded a trade deficit of 5699 GBP Million in May of 2025. This dataset provides - United Kingdom Balance of Trade - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.
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Quarterly estimates of total trade, trade in goods, and trade in services by country, non-seasonally adjusted.
The value of service exports from the United Kingdom amounted to over 134 billion British pounds in the first quarter of 2025, compared with almost 86 billion pounds worth of services imported, giving the UK a service trade surplus of around 48.6 billion pounds.
Since the first quarter of 2016, the total trade deficit of the UK has widened, most notably in the first half of 2022. As of the second quarter of 202 the UK's trade balance reached 19 billion British pounds.
UK’s EU and non-EU trade UK runs a trade deficit with the EU, but this is not the case regarding trade with countries outside the European Union. Since 2012, the value of UK goods exported to non-EU countries has persistenly been greater than imports made from these countries, resulting in a healthy trade surplus.
International UK trade after Brexit Following the Brexit referendum of 2016,the UK government has sought to renew a number of trade agreements that come automatically with EU membership, such as Free Trade Agreements (FTA) and Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA).
The statistic shows the trade balance of goods (exports minus imports of goods) in the United Kingdom from 2013 to 2023. A positive value means a trade surplus, a negative trade balance means a trade deficit. In 2023, the trade deficit of goods in the United Kingdom amounted to about ****** billion U.S. dollars. On the effects of Brexit on the UK's economy The United Kingdom has maintained a trade deficit over the last ten years, but now that the country has chosen to leave the European Union, current trade agreements will need to be renegotiated and trade relationships and the trade balance will change. As of 2015, one of the UK’s most important import and export partners was Germany, but it also trades heavily with many other countries within the European Union; more than half of total value of the UK trade in goods is associated with European Union countries. Trade agreements which have been negotiated by the European Union extend beyond member countries, and the United Kingdom will now have to renegotiate its own trade deals with a far larger number of countries by itself. It remains to be seen as to how the UK will manage these negotiations. Another big question is how the UK banking sector will be able to access the European market. Services contributed close to ** percent of UK GDP, which includes banking services. While it is too soon predict how Brexit will impact the United Kingdom entirely, estimates of the decision’s long term effects estimate negative GDP growth of around **** percent in an optimistic scenario, with the pessimistic scenario estimating negative growth of around *** percent.
As of the first quarter of 2025, the value of goods exported to the European Union from the United Kingdom was over 42.1 billion British pounds, compared with around 76.7 billion pounds of goods imported, resulting in a negative goods trade balance with the EU of around approximately 34.6 billion pounds.
The tables previously available with this release are now published as a separate statistical data set.
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) collects the UK’s international trade in goods data, which is published as an Accredited official statistics series - the UK overseas trade in goods statistics (OTS). Data for non-EU and EU trade are published simultaneously on a monthly basis. The OTS publications include import and export trade values by summary product and partner country.
Downloadable versions of the UK overseas trade in goods statistics datasets, exporters and importers details are available from uktradeinfo’s https://www.uktradeinfo.com/trade-data/latest-bulk-datasets/" class="govuk-link">Latest bulk datasets page.
UK overseas trade in goods statistics data is also accessible in greater product and partner country detail in an https://www.uktradeinfo.com/trade-data/" class="govuk-link">interactive table with extensive archive.
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Experimental dataset providing a breakdown of UK trade in goods by industry, country and commodity on a balance of payments basis. Data are subject to disclosure control.
Over **** of the United Kingdom's exports went to countries in Europe in 2024. European countries were collectively the main import market for the UK, with **** percent originating from there. Trade to countries in the Asia-Pacific region accounted for **** percent of imports and **** percent of exports.
The timeline shows the total value of U.S. trade in goods (export and import) with the United Kingdom from 2000 to 2023. In 2023, the total value of U.S. trade in goods with the United Kingdom amounted to 138 billion U.S. dollars; composed of exports worth 74 billion U.S. dollars and imports of 64 billion U.S. dollars.
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Monthly import country-by-commodity data on the UK's trade in goods, including trade by all countries and selected commodities, non-seasonally adjusted.
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EU UK: Trade Balance data was reported at -11,411.400 EUR mn in May 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of -13,005.300 EUR mn for Apr 2018. EU UK: Trade Balance data is updated monthly, averaging -9,799.500 EUR mn from Jan 1999 (Median) to May 2018, with 233 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,630.000 EUR mn in May 2013 and a record low of -23,833.700 EUR mn in Sep 2016. EU UK: Trade Balance data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Eurostat. The data is categorized under Global Database’s UK – Table UK.Eurostat: Trade Balance.
The following tables contain EU and non-EU import and export data for August 2024 at chapter level.
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The UK trade in numbers contains the latest published UK trade and investment statistics. It draws on a number of statistical sources including the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the Department for International Trade (DIT), and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Trade statistics are derived from a number of sources and can be presented in different ways. The UK’s trade statistics are primarily provided by Office for National Statistics (ONS) releases, including the ONS monthly UK trade, ONS UK quarterly trade by partner country, and ONS UK balance of payments. These releases set out the UK’s economic relationship with other countries and illustrate the UK’s bilateral trade on top exports and imports for goods and services.
In addition, the UK trade in numbers depicts foreign direct investment, regional trade statistics, and the UK’s position in global rankings for exports and imports of goods and services.
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The United Kingdom's total Exports in 2024 were valued at US$508.68 Billion, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. The United Kingdom's main export partners were: the United States, China and Germany. The top three export commodities were: Machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers; Pearls, precious stones, metals, coins and Vehicles other than railway, tramway. Total Imports were valued at US$809.19 Billion. In 2024, The United Kingdom had a trade deficit of US$300.51 Billion.
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Graph and download economic data for Trade Deficit in the United Kingdom (TDFUKA) from 1816 to 2016 about budget, academic data, United Kingdom, and trade.
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Trade (% of GDP) in United Kingdom was reported at 63.88 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United Kingdom - Trade (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.
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Goods Trade Balance Non-EU in the United Kingdom decreased to -9318 GBP Million in May from -8649 GBP Million in April of 2025. This dataset includes a chart with historical data for the United Kingdom Goods Trade Balance Non-EU.
In the first quarter of 2025, the value of exports from the United Kingdom amounted to approximately 227 billion British pounds, while imports to the country amounted to around 238 billion pounds, resulting in a trade deficit of around 10.6 billion pounds in this quarter. During this time period, the value of UK exports was highest in the fourth quarter of 2022, with the value of imports peaking in the third quarter of 2022. The UK's main trade partners Despite the UK leaving the EU in 2020 following the Brexit referendum of 2016, Europe remains the main destination for UK exports, with almost half of UK exports heading there in 2023. During the same year, just over 60 percent of imports came from European countries, compared with around 17.9 percent from countries in Asia, and 11.8 percent from the Americas. In terms of individual countries, the United States was the UK's leading export partner for both goods and services from the UK, while Germany was the main source of UK goods imports, and the U.S. for service imports. It is as yet unclear how the return of Donald Trump to the White House will impact UK/US trade relations, should the President follow through with threats made on the campaign trail to increase trade tariffs. Brexit rethink under Starmer? Although generally more pro-European than the previous government, the new Labour government, led by Keir Starmer, does not plan to rejoin the European Union, or the Single Market. Public opinion, while gradually turning against Brexit recently, has not coalesced around a particular trading relationship. In late 2023, a survey indicated that while 31 percent of British adults wanted to rejoin the EU, a further 30 percent wanted to simply improve relations with the EU, instead of rejoining. Just 11 percent of respondents wanted to join the single market but not the EU, while 10 percent were happy with the relationship as it was. At the start of 2025, after several months in office, the new government has not signalled any major change in direction regarding on this, but has broadly signalled it wants a better relationship with the EU.