Regne Unit: Visió econòmica i política
The United Kingdom is one of the main players in international commerce, with foreign trade representing 62% of its GDP in 2025 (World Bank). Gold trade weighs heavily on goods trade figures: in 2025, gold was the main export (14.4% of the total), followed by turbojets (9.6%), motor cars (5.5%), medicaments (3.3%), and crude oil (3.1%); whereas imports were led by gold (16.3%), motor cars (6.5%), turbojets (3.7%), crude oil (2.7%), and refined petroleum products (2.5% - data Comtrade).
At a country level, in 2025, the UK mainly exported towards the United States (15.9%), Germany (7.7%), China (6.6%), the Netherlands (5.9%), Switzerland (5.5%), and France (5.4%); with imports coming chiefly from the United States (11.9%), China (11.4%), Germany (8.4%), Switzerland (5.5%), and France (4.5% - data Comtrade). The EU as a whole remains the UK's main trading partner. In order to diversify its business partners, the UK has signed a wide network of free trade agreements with nations and trade blocs, including a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with India, in force since 15 July 2026.
The country has a structural trade deficit, even though it has a large surplus in the services sector. According to WTO data, in 2025, the United Kingdom imported USD 948.6 billion worth of goods (+15.7% y-o-y) and exported USD 555.8 billion (+6% y-o-y); in the same year, exports of services stood at USD 719.6 billion (+11.1% y-o-y), against USD 450.1 billion in imports (+9.1% y-o-y). The overall trade balance was estimated to be negative by 1.3% of GDP by the World Bank (compared to -0.7% one year earlier). According to preliminary estimates from the ONS, after adjusting for inflation, total annual imports of goods and services increased by GBP 32.0 billion (3.4% y-o-y) to GBP 959.2 billion in 2025, while total annual exports increased by GBP 17.9 billion (2.0%) to GBP 902.8 billion in 2025.
| Foreign Trade Values | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| Imports of Goods (million USD) | 695,115 | 823,592 | 791,544 | 820,194 | 948,641 |
| Exports of Goods (million USD) | 472,147 | 546,151 | 525,016 | 524,286 | 555,829 |
| Imports of Services (million USD) | 252,982 | 322,389 | 374,068 | 412,087 | 449,181 |
| Exports of Services (million USD) | 463,124 | 529,031 | 572,933 | 647,267 | 718,470 |
Source: World Trade Organisation (WTO) ; Latest available data
| Foreign Trade Indicators | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| Foreign Trade (in % of GDP) | 58.5 | 69.2 | 65.0 | 62.8 | 62.5 |
| Trade Balance (million USD) | -208,678 | -245,025 | -238,643 | -261,956 | -320,414 |
| Trade Balance (Including Service) (million USD) | 1,420 | -38,781 | -40,127 | -26,755 | -50,832 |
| Imports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) | 5.3 | 13.9 | -1.6 | 2.7 | 4.1 |
| Exports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) | 2.9 | 15.2 | -2.3 | 1.3 | 2.1 |
| Imports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) | 29.2 | 35.1 | 33.1 | 31.8 | 31.9 |
| Exports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) | 29.3 | 34.1 | 31.9 | 31.1 | 30.6 |
Source: World Bank ; Latest available data
| Foreign Trade Forecasts | 2026 (e) | 2027 (e) | 2028 (e) | 2029 (e) | 2030 (e) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volume of exports of goods and services (Annual % change) | 1.7 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.4 |
| Volume of imports of goods and services (Annual % change) | 3.2 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.1 |
Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook ; Latest available data
Note: (e) Estimated Data
| Main Customers (% of Exports) |
2025 |
| United States | 15.9% |
| Germany | 7.7% |
| China | 6.6% |
| Netherlands | 5.9% |
| Switzerland | 5.5% |
| France | 5.4% |
| Ireland | 4.3% |
| Belgium | 3.5% |
| Hong Kong SAR, China | 3.1% |
| Spain | 2.5% |
| Poland | 2.0% |
| Italy | 2.0% |
| United Arab Emirates | 1.9% |
| Singapore | 1.9% |
| India | 1.8% |
| Qatar | 1.8% |
| Türkiye | 1.6% |
| Canada | 1.5% |
| Japan | 1.4% |
| Sweden | 1.2% |
| See More Countries | 58.3% |
| Main Suppliers (% of Imports) |
2025 |
| United States | 11.9% |
| China | 11.4% |
| Germany | 8.4% |
| Switzerland | 5.5% |
| France | 4.5% |
| Canada | 3.9% |
| Italy | 3.8% |
| Norway | 3.0% |
| Netherlands | 2.9% |
| Spain | 2.8% |
| Ireland | 2.3% |
| South Africa | 2.2% |
| Poland | 2.2% |
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.
|
2.1% |
| Türkiye | 2.0% |
| Belgium | 1.8% |
| India | 1.6% |
| Japan | 1.6% |
| Australia | 1.5% |
| Vietnam | 1.4% |
| See More Countries | 58.3% |
Source: Comtrade, 2026. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.
Source: Comtrade, 2026. 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 2026
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