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.
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The United Kingdom's total Exports in 2024 were valued at US$508.69 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$809.21 Billion. In 2024, The United Kingdom had a trade deficit of US$300.52 Billion.
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 Business and Trade (DBT), 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 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.
The statistic shows the main import partners for the United Kingdom in 2023. In 2023, the United Kingdom's main import partner was China, accounting for 13 percent of all imports.
This statistic shows the United Kingdom's main export partners in 2023. In 2023, the United States were the UK's most important export partner with a share of 14 percent of total exports.
Cars were the most valuable type of commodity exported from the United Kingdom in 2024, with exports of this commodity valued at approximately 32.9 billion British pounds. Mechanical power generators were the second-most valuable commodity in 2024, with an export value of around 32.7 billion pounds in this year. By comparison, the most valuable import commodity was also cars, amounting to over 38.4 billion British pounds. The next most valuable import commodity was medicinal and pharmaceutical products at over 27.2 million pounds in this year. UK main trading partners Although the share of both imports and exports from the European Union has been declining recently, the single market is still by far the UK's main trading partner. In terms of individual countries, the United States was the main export partner in 2024 at 16.1 percent of all exports, while Germany was the UK's main import partner with 12.5 percent of imports coming from there in 2024. A main argument of the Leave vote, was that the UK should seek to improve up its trade with the rest of the world, outside of Europe. The success of this 'Global Britain' strategy, depends on the UK significantly scaling up its trade with other continents, with countries outside of Europe still responsible for far less trade than European ones. Brexit and EU trade At the start of 2021, the United Kingdom exited both the European Single Market and the European Customs Union, with the UK's trading relationship with the EU now determined by a new Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). Although the TCA continued tariff and quota-free goods trade between the EU and UK, a number of customs checks came into force, increasing trade friction between the two parties. The status of Northern Ireland in the initial agreement was also different from the rest of the UK. Goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain were initially subject to customs checks, to prevent customs checks occurring at the border with the Republic of Ireland. In February 2023, it was announced that under a new EU-UK agreement called the Windsor Framework, some goods entering Northern Ireland from Britain will be subject to fewer checks.
The United States was the leading country for exports from the United Kingdom in 2024, with **** percent of all UK exports going to this market. Germany was the second-largest export market for the UK in this year, followed by the Netherlands, with these countries accounting for *** and *** percent of UK exports respectively. During this year, cars were the most valuable goods commodity exported from the UK, while general business services were the most valuable type of service exported from the UK. UK imports most from Germany Although the United States was the largest export market, Germany was the country from which the UK imported the highest share of goods, with **** percent of the UK’s imports coming from the country in 2024. The United States was the second-largest source of imports for the UK, with *** percent originating from there in 2024, with China a close third at *** percent of UK imports. The main types of trade goods imported from the rest of the world in the UK included cars, oil, and mechanical power generators. The Balance of Trade In the fourth quarter of 2024, the United Kingdom had an overall trade deficit of over **** billion pounds. Although service exports from the UK to the rest of the world amounted to more than ***** billion pounds, the UK imported far more goods than it exported, resulting in a goods trade deficit of **** billion pounds, bringing down the overall trade balance. As of 2023, the UK was behind only the U.S. when it came to the overall size of the trade deficit.
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The annual, quarterly and monthly goods export and import figures for all countries with the UK.
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The United Kingdom recorded a trade deficit of 5260 GBP Million in July 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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Exports in the United Kingdom increased to 75997 GBP Million in March from 75570 GBP Million in February of 2025. This dataset provides - United Kingdom Exports - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.
The European Union has experienced a shift in its biggest trade partners since the early 2000s. Over the past two decades, the share of EU imports flowing from China has more than doubled, from around 8 percent in 2002 to over 20 percent in 2024, making China the EU's largest external import partner. At the same time, the proportion of total imports coming from the United Kingdom, which was historically a large importer to EU countries (the UK was an EU member state until 2020), have more than halved, from 18 percent to less than 7 percent. This secular trend existed before the UK voted to leave the EU in 2016, however, there has been a notable drop in imports from the UK since Brexit was enacted in 2020. By contrast the share of the EU's import trade taken by the U.S., Switzerland, and the Rest of World have remained relatively stable over this period. The share of exports coming from Russia was growing steadily in the period before 2014, after which the EU imposed economic sanctions on Russia due to the illegal annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. Imports from Russia collapsed in 2023, due to the effect of the additional economic sanctions placed on Russia in response to the full scale invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022.The Russian Federation is now only the tenth-largest exporter to the EU, after India, Japan, and South Korea.
Open Government Licence 3.0http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/
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Quarterly estimates of service type by partner country, non-seasonally adjusted.
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) collects the UK’s international trade in goods data, which are published as two National Statistics series - the ‘Overseas Trade Statistics (OTS)’ and the ‘Regional Trade Statistics (RTS)’. 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 Overseas Trade Statistics datasets, exporters and importers details are available from uktradeinfo’s https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/Pages/DataDownloads.aspx" class="govuk-link">Data Downloads page.
UK Overseas Trade Statistics data is also accessible in greater product and partner country detail in an https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/BuildYourOwnTables/Pages/Home.aspx" class="govuk-link">interactive table with extensive archive hosted at https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Pages/Home.aspx" class="govuk-link">www.uktradeinfo.com
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The United Kingdom's total Imports in 2024 were valued at US$809.21 Billion, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. The United Kingdom's main import partners were: China, the United States and Germany. The top three import commodities were: Machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers; Pearls, precious stones, metals, coins and Vehicles other than railway, tramway. Total Exports were valued at US$508.69 Billion. In 2024, The United Kingdom had a trade deficit of US$300.52 Billion.
This statistic shows the countries with the highest volume of exports from the United Kingdom (UK) in 2008 and 2018. In 2018, values of exports from the UK have increased markedly, relative to their values in the year 2008. The UK increased the value of their exports to the USA from ****** million British pounds in 2008 to ****** million British pounds in 2018.
These factsheets present the latest statistics on trade and investment between the UK and individual overseas partners.
All the figures in the factsheets are the most up to date, as at time of publication, the sources are clearly stated and there is an update schedule for future releases.
DBT recommends downloading the latest factsheet to make sure you’re using the most up-to-date statistics. Some statistics are revised on a regular basis.
These files may not be suitable for users of assistive technology. If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of these documents in a more accessible format, email digital@businessandtrade.gov.uk.
In 2024, 12.5 percent of goods imports into the United Kingdom came from Germany, making it the main import partner that year. Imports from the United States accounted for ten percent of UK goods imports, making America the UK's second main import partner, followed by China on 9.8 percent. As of this year, the overall import value of cars to the UK was approximately 38.4 billion British pounds, the most of any commodity in 2024. Europe remains UK's main trading partner Several years after the Brexit vote, and the eventual departure from the European Union, European countries account for most of the UK's trade. As of 2024, approximately 50.8 percent of the UK's exports went to Europe, with 60.1 percent of imports coming from there, the vast majority of which were in the European Single Market. After Europe, American countries were the UK's main destination for exports, at around 19.2 percent, while countries in the Asia Pacific region were the second-main source for imports, at 19.1 percent in 2024. UK attitudes to Brexit in 2025 Since the UK left the EU in 2020, there has been a gradual but consistent increase in the share of people who believe Brexit to have been a mistake. As of January 2025, when asked if they thought it was right or wrong to leave the EU, approximately 55 percent thought it was the wrong decision, compared with 30 percent who thought it was the correct choice. In addition to this, a majority of Britons thought that the impacts of leaving the EU had been mainly negative. Regarding international trade, 57 percent believed that Brexit had been detrimental, compared with just 11 percent who thought it had a positive impact.
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Service sector data highlighting the UK's major trading partners, which services are common to a number of industries and the geographical breakdown on services and industries. Source agency: Office for National Statistics Designation: Official Statistics not designated as National Statistics Language: English Alternative title: TIS
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 an extensive archive.
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Turkey's total Exports in 2024 were valued at US$261.78 Billion, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. Turkey's main export partners were: Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom. The top three export commodities were: Vehicles other than railway, tramway; Machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers and Mineral fuels, oils, distillation products. Total Imports were valued at US$344.01 Billion. In 2024, Turkey had a trade deficit of US$82.23 Billion.
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.