[1] Primary trade source
OECD Bilateral International Merchandise Trade Statistics, harmonised by Yugalinks at country-year, HS2 and bilateral-corridor levels. Coverage shown here is 1995–2024 where observations are available.
Country intelligence · GBR · 2024
United Kingdom trade profile
In 2024, United Kingdom recorded $442.2B in merchandise exports and $753.4B in imports, producing a $311.2B trade deficit. Exports changed -5.3% from the previous year, while imports changed +2.7%.[1]
Exports
$442.2B
-5.3%
Imports
$753.4B
+2.7%
Trade balance
-$311.2B
deficit
Active partners
270
119 FTA-linked
Historical evidence
Ten-year trade movement
The bars compare exports and imports on the same scale. The accompanying table preserves the exact values so the trend is usable without interpreting a graphic.
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
ExportsImports
Exact annual values
Leading export sectors
HS2 chapters rank broad product groups by observed export value in 2024.
1$80.8B
HS 84 · Machinery
515 active HS6 lines · 198 export partners
2$48.6B
HS 87 · Vehicles
87 active HS6 lines · 192 export partners
3$43.7B
HS 71 · Precious metals and stones
51 active HS6 lines · 166 export partners
4$35.4B
HS 27 · Mineral fuels and oils
43 active HS6 lines · 174 export partners
5$27.3B
HS 30 · Pharmaceutical products
43 active HS6 lines · 192 export partners
6$27.1B
HS 85 · Electrical machinery
262 active HS6 lines · 197 export partners
7$20.7B
HS 90 · HS chapter
142 active HS6 lines · 194 export partners
8$14.5B
HS 88 · HS chapter
15 active HS6 lines · 165 export partners
Leading export markets
Destinations rank bilateral export flows from United Kingdom; growth describes each corridor rather than the whole economy.
1$71.2B
United States
Annual change +3.5% · 3-year CAGR 7.8%
2$37.7B
Germany
Annual change -5.3% · 3-year CAGR -0.8%
3$28.7B
China
Annual change +3.5% · 3-year CAGR 5.2%
4$28.4B
France
Annual change +5.7% · 3-year CAGR 5.1%
5$28.2B
Netherlands
Annual change -14.0% · 3-year CAGR -6.2%
6$24.3B
Ireland
Annual change -17.4% · 3-year CAGR -2.5%
7$19.0B
Switzerland
Annual change -28.9% · 3-year CAGR -20.4%
8$14.9B
Belgium
Annual change -12.2% · 3-year CAGR -0.7%
Sources, definitions and limitations
Calculation notes
USD values are aggregated from reported merchandise records. YoY compares consecutive annual totals; three-year CAGR is the mart-provided compound annual growth rate. Missing values are not inferred.