Regne Unit: Visió econòmica i política
The United Kingdom is one of the main players in international commerce, with foreign trade representing 64% of its GDP in 2023 (World Bank). The country is the 6th largest importer and 15th exporter of goods in the world, and the second-largest exporter and the largest importer of commercial services (WTO). In 2022, the country mainly exported cars, mechanical power generators, medicinal & pharmaceutical products, and crude oil; whereas imports were led by cars, refined oil, crude oil, mechanical power generators (intermediate), and medicinal & pharmaceutical products (data ONS). Since 2018, the value of UK imports and exports has risen, but volatile price inflation has impacted trade. After adjusting for inflation, both imports and exports are actually lower than in 2018.
The EU as a whole is the main trading partner of the United Kingdom: in 2023, it accounted for 42% of UK exports of goods and services and 52% of imports (data House of Commons). At a country level, the UK mainly exported towards the United States (13.8%), Germany (7.6%), Netherlands (7.1%), Switzerland (6.8%), China (6.6%), and France (5.6%); with imports coming chiefly from China (12.5%), the United States (12.0%), Germany (9.5%), France (5.1%), and Norway (4.1% - data Comtrade). In order to diversify its business partners, the UK has 39 active free trade agreements with nations and trade blocs.
The country has a structural trade deficit, even though it has a large surplus in the services sector. According to WTO data, in 2023, the United Kingdom imported USD 791.3 billion worth of goods (-3.9% y-o-y) and exported USD 520.7 billion (-2.3% y-o-y); in the same year, exports of services stood at USD 584.2 billion (+15.3% y-o-y), against USD 393.9 billion in imports (+22.4% y-o-y). The overall trade balance was estimated to be negative by 0.6% of GDP by the World Bank (compared to -1.7% one year earlier). According to preliminary estimates from the ONS, after adjusting for inflation, total annual imports of goods and services increased by GBP 5.8 billion (0.7% y-o-y) to GBP 858.2 billion in 2024, while total annual exports decreased by GBP 4.5 billion (0.6%) to GBP 798.6 billion in 2024.
| Foreign Trade Values | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Imports of Goods (million USD) | 638,251 | 695,115 | 823,592 | 791,544 | 815,973 |
| Exports of Goods (million USD) | 399,529 | 472,147 | 546,151 | 525,016 | 512,840 |
| Imports of Services (million USD) | 213,973 | 239,924 | 305,393 | 358,701 | 398,654 |
| Exports of Services (million USD) | 393,589 | 456,575 | 506,293 | 583,118 | 644,628 |
Source: World Trade Organisation (WTO) ; Latest available data
| Foreign Trade Indicators | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Foreign Trade (in % of GDP) | 58.8 | 58.6 | 68.9 | 65.0 | 62.4 |
| Trade Balance (million USD) | -165,636 | -222,966 | -258,722 | -259,122 | -288,729 |
| Trade Balance (Including Service) (million USD) | 13,847 | -6,976 | -58,862 | -36,248 | -41,224 |
| Imports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) | -15.9 | 5.8 | 13.0 | -1.2 | 2.7 |
| Exports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) | -11.8 | 3.2 | 12.6 | -0.4 | -1.2 |
| Imports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) | 29.1 | 29.4 | 35.3 | 33.1 | 31.8 |
| Exports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) | 29.7 | 29.2 | 33.6 | 32.0 | 30.6 |
Source: World Bank ; Latest available data
| Foreign Trade Forecasts | 2025 (e) | 2026 (e) | 2027 (e) | 2028 (e) | 2029 (e) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volume of exports of goods and services (Annual % change) | -0.4 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.1 |
| Volume of imports of goods and services (Annual % change) | 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook ; Latest available data
Note: (e) Estimated Data
| Main Customers (% of Exports) |
2024 |
| United States | 14.1% |
| China | 9.1% |
| Germany | 7.5% |
| Netherlands | 6.5% |
| Switzerland | 5.7% |
| France | 5.5% |
| Ireland | 4.5% |
| Belgium | 4.1% |
| United Arab Emirates | 2.4% |
| Hong Kong SAR, China | 2.3% |
| Spain | 2.3% |
| Italy | 2.2% |
| India | 1.7% |
| Poland | 1.6% |
| Singapore | 1.6% |
| Türkiye | 1.6% |
| Japan | 1.5% |
| Canada | 1.3% |
| Sweden | 1.3% |
| Australia | 1.1% |
| See More Countries | 57.0% |
| Main Suppliers (% of Imports) |
2024 |
| China | 12.2% |
| United States | 11.4% |
| Germany | 9.4% |
| France | 4.8% |
| Italy | 3.9% |
| Norway | 3.6% |
| Spain | 3.3% |
| Netherlands | 3.2% |
| Canada | 3.0% |
| Ireland | 2.5% |
| Poland | 2.4% |
| Switzerland | 2.4% |
| Türkiye | 2.3% |
| Belgium | 2.2% |
| India | 1.9% |
| Japan | 1.7% |
| South Africa | 1.6% |
United Kingdom  This flow is explained by the way local Customs Authorities report trade with overseas or special territories (e.g. Hong Kong or Taiwan in the case of China, French West Indies in the case of France, etc) as well as the treatment of re-imported (or re-exported) products, which get out (or enter) of the country for a limited time, with the intention of being re-imported (or re-exported) without significant transformation overseas.
|
1.5% |
| Czech Republic | 1.3% |
| Vietnam | 1.3% |
| See More Countries | 58.3% |
Source: Comtrade, 2025. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.
Source: Comtrade, 2025. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.
To go further, check out our service Import-Export Flows.
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Actualitzacions: October 2025
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