UK Imports & Exports: Trade Profile & Top Partners

The United Kingdom is one of the world’s largest trading economies and a top exporter of services. Cars, machinery, pharmaceuticals, and whisky flow out. Cars, oil, gold, and phones flow in. And the United States sits at the top of both lists as the UK’s largest single trading partner on the goods side and by far the largest on services.

This guide breaks down the UK’s 2024 trade profile using official figures from the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS): what it exports, what it imports, who it trades with, and what US importers and exporters need to know about the US-UK relationship. 

At Artemus Transportation Solutions, we have been building trade compliance software since 1999, including ISF (Importer Security Filing), AMS (Automated Manifest System), and AES (Automated Export System) filing platforms. Every figure below is cited to a named source so you can verify the numbers yourself.

UK Imports And Exports: The Short Answer

The UK exported a total of £832.6 billion in goods and services in 2024 and imported £857.6 billion, running a total trade deficit of £25.1 billion (excluding precious metals). Cars, pharmaceuticals, machinery, and crude oil lead the goods exports. Cars, refined petroleum, gold, and machinery dominate the imports. 

The UK runs a large goods trade deficit that is partly offset by a strong services surplus. The United States is the UK’s single largest goods export partner and by far the largest services trading partner.

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UK Trade Profile At A Glance (2024)

Here are the UK’s official 2024 trade totals, as reported in the ONS UK trade: December 2024 bulletin (the annual release).

Metric	2024 Value (ONS)
Total annual exports (goods + services)	£832.6 billion
Total annual imports (goods + services)	£857.6 billion
Total trade balance (deficit)	£25.1 billion (excluding precious metals)
Q4 2024 goods deficit	£53.8 billion (excluding precious metals)
Q4 2024 services surplus	£43.8 billion
Largest goods export partner	United States: £59.3 billion (16.2% of UK goods exports)
Largest services export partner	United States: £137.0 billion (27.0% of UK services exports)

The UK runs a large goods trade deficit that is partly offset by a substantial services surplus. In Q4 2024 alone, the goods deficit was £53.8 billion while the services surplus was £43.8 billion. The services side is the UK’s structural strength.

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What Are The UK’s Main Exports?

Cars have been the UK’s most valuable single export category for several years running. The breakdown below combines ONS bilateral trade data with historical category figures from ONS UK trade in goods by classification statistics (compiled through GOV.UK trade in numbers). 

Export Category	Approx. 2024 Value	Notes
Cars	£35 billion	Top single goods export; US is largest buyer
Mechanical power generators & machinery	£34 billion	Turbines, engines, industrial equipment
Pharmaceuticals (medicinal products)	£26 billion	Branded drugs lead; US is largest market
Electrical machinery & electronics	£23 billion	Top destinations include US, Germany, Netherlands
Crude petroleum	£12 billion	North Sea output declining over the long term
Aircraft & spacecraft parts	£10 billion	Rolls-Royce engines, BAE Systems, Airbus UK
Beverages (whisky, gin)	£8 billion	Scotch whisky leads the category

1. Cars And Vehicles

Cars are the UK’s single largest goods export. The industry is concentrated around premium and specialty brands like Jaguar Land Rover, Bentley, Aston Martin, McLaren, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, plus high-volume manufacturing for brands like Nissan, Mini, and Toyota. The United States alone bought £9.0 billion of UK cars in 2024, equal to 27.4% of all UK car exports and making it the single largest destination market.

2. Machinery And Mechanical Power Generators

Machinery and mechanical power generators together sit among the UK’s top goods exports. This category covers turbines, aircraft engines (Rolls-Royce aerospace), industrial pumps, and heavy equipment. The mechanical power generators alone accounted for £4.6 billion of UK exports to the US in 2024.

3. Pharmaceuticals

The UK is one of the world’s top pharmaceutical exporters. AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, and a network of specialty biotech firms drive the sector. The medicinal and pharmaceutical products made up £6.6 billion of the £10.8 billion UK chemicals export total to the US in 2024 alone.

4. Electrical Machinery And Electronics

Electrical machinery and electronics exports are a major UK category, covering transformers, circuit components, industrial control systems, and scientific instruments. Top destinations include the United States, Germany, and the Netherlands, with the UK holding particular strength in specialty industrial electronics and precision measurement equipment.

5. Crude Petroleum

Crude oil exports have been declining for years as North Sea production falls. The Netherlands, Germany, and Poland are typically the main buyers of UK crude. The UK is increasingly a net importer of energy rather than a net exporter.

6. Aircraft And Aerospace

Aircraft parts, engines, and spacecraft equipment are another significant UK export. The UK is home to major aerospace players, including Rolls-Royce (aero-engines), BAE Systems (defense), and Airbus UK (wings for commercial aircraft).

7. Scotch Whisky And Beverages

Beverages are another notable UK export category, with Scotch whisky as the headline product. Top markets for UK whisky include the US, France, and Taiwan. UK gin and premium spirits follow as strong secondary earners.

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What Does The UK Import?

According to World’s Top Exports analysis of 2024 UN Comtrade data, the UK imported US$815.9 billion worth of goods in 2024. The category breakdown below is drawn from that source. The mix is heavy on finished consumer goods, energy, and capital equipment.

Import Category	2024 Value (USD, UN Comtrade)	Share of Imports
Machinery including computers	$95.2 billion	11.7% (largest HS category)
Gems and precious metals (mostly gold)	$80 billion	Dominated by LBMA gold flows
Mineral fuels including oil	$75 billion	Crude oil, refined petroleum, gas
Vehicles (cars, trucks, parts)	$70 billion	#2 single largest import; EU + Japan + China suppliers
Electrical machinery and equipment	$55 billion	Includes mobile phones and consumer electronics
Pharmaceuticals	$35 billion	NHS procurement + private sector
Optical, technical, medical apparatus	$25 billion	Measurement instruments, medical devices

1. Machinery Including Computers

Machinery, including computers, is the UK’s single largest import category, at $95.2 billion in 2024 per UN Comtrade. The biggest subcategories are turbo-jets for aerospace (Rolls-Royce customers), computers and optical readers, and industrial machinery. China, Germany, and the US lead supplier rankings, with Germany strong in precision engineering equipment.

2. Gold And Precious Metals

Gold imports topped the precious metals category in 2024, reflecting London’s role as the world’s largest physical gold trading hub. Most of this gold flows in, is stored or traded through the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) vaults, and flows back out. Because gold movements are large and volatile, ONS publishes most headline UK trade figures excluding non-monetary gold and other precious metals, so the underlying trends are visible.

3. Refined Petroleum And Crude Oil

Despite North Sea production, the UK is a structural net importer of energy. The UK imported £15.3 billion of fuels from the US alone in 2024 (£8.7 billion crude oil and £4.0 billion refined oil). The US, Norway, the Netherlands, and India are typically the main supplier countries.

4. Cars

Cars are one of the UK’s largest single-product imports. The category has grown meaningfully over the past five years, reflecting both consumer demand and the transition to electric vehicles. Germany, Spain, Belgium, Japan, and increasingly China lead the supplier list.

5. Electrical Machinery And Electronics

Electrical machinery and electronics include mobile phones, consumer electronics, batteries, and industrial electrical systems. China is the dominant supplier for phones and consumer electronics, with Vietnam and Taiwan growing their share as manufacturers diversify away from China-only supply chains.

6. Pharmaceuticals

The UK is a significant net importer of medicines. A large share of pharmaceutical imports is procured by the National Health Service, while the rest serves private healthcare and pharmacy chains. The US alone supplied around £4.0 billion of medicinal and pharmaceutical products to the UK in 2024, with Germany, Ireland, and Switzerland also major sources.

7. Optical, Technical, And Medical Apparatus

Optical, measuring, and medical instruments round out the top UK import categories. This covers MRI machines, surgical instruments, precision measuring equipment, and scientific apparatus. Germany, the US, and Switzerland are the main suppliers, with Japan strong in optical and electronic instruments.

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UK’s Top Trading Partners

UK trade is concentrated across a handful of major partners. Per the GOV.UK Trade and Investment Core Statistics Book, total UK trade in 2024 amounted to £1.8 trillion (£829.9 billion with the EU and £987.5 billion with non-EU countries), and the United States was the UK’s largest trading partner overall with £322.8 billion in two-way trade (17.8% of total UK trade).

Here are the UK’s top goods export partners in 2024:

Rank	Partner	UK Goods Exports (2024)	Share of Total Exports
1	United States	£59.3 billion	22.4% (goods + services)
2	Germany	£32.1 billion	6.9% (goods + services)
3	Netherlands	£28.1 billion	5.9% (goods + services)
4	Ireland	£24.1 billion	5.8% (goods + services)
5	France	£23.2 billion	n/a

Note: the percentages are of total UK exports (goods plus services), while the pound figures are goods-only. The US appears much larger as a share of total exports than of goods alone because UK services exports to the US are enormous (discussed in the US-UK section below).

Per the GOV.UK core statistics book, UK exports to the EU were £370.1 billion in 2024 (up 3.5% on 2023), while exports to non-EU countries were £527.8 billion (up 1.4%). On the import side, Germany and China are typically the largest suppliers, with the US as third.

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Services Trade: The UK’s Hidden Strength

Most trade coverage focuses on goods, but for the UK, services are a major part of the story. The UK ran a services surplus of £43.8 billion in Q4 2024 alone, while running a goods deficit of £53.8 billion in the same quarter. Across the full year, services trade partly offsets the goods deficit and is what keeps the UK’s overall trade balance manageable.

The UK’s main services export categories include:

• Other business services: Management consulting, legal services, accounting and audit, advertising and market research, and professional scientific services. This is the single largest UK services export category.
• Financial services: Banking, investment management, insurance, securities trading, and fintech. London remains one of the world’s top three financial centers.
• Travel services: Spending by international visitors to the UK on accommodation, meals, transport, and attractions. The category rebounded strongly after the pandemic slowdown.
• Transportation services: Sea freight, air freight, and passenger services.
• Telecommunications, computer, and information services: IT consulting, software development, cloud services, and telecom charges.
• Intellectual property charges: Royalties and license fees for use of UK patents, trademarks, software, and creative content (film, music, publishing).
• Insurance and pension services: Lloyd’s of London underwriting and specialty insurance services are a UK specialty.

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US-UK Trade: A Closer Look

The United States is the UK’s largest single trading partner. Per the ONS UK trade with the United States: 2024 bulletin, UK-US two-way goods trade in 2024 was about £116 billion (£59.3 billion UK exports + £57.1 billion UK imports), with around £198 billion in services trade (£137.0 billion UK exports + £61.2 billion UK imports) on top of that.

UK Exports To The US

The UK exported £59.3 billion of goods to the US in 2024 per the ONS bilateral bulletin, making it the single largest destination for UK goods at 16.2% of all UK goods exports. Machinery and transport equipment led at £29.1 billion, which is almost half of all UK goods exports to the US. Chemicals and pharmaceuticals came next at £10.8 billion, with medicinal and pharmaceutical products alone accounting for £6.6 billion. Cars specifically hit £9.0 billion, equal to 27.4% of total UK car exports.

US Exports To The UK

The US exported £57.1 billion of goods to the UK in 2024 per the same ONS bulletin, equal to 9.7% of all UK goods imports. Machinery and transport equipment led at £20.1 billion, followed by fuels at £15.3 billion (including £8.7 billion of crude oil and £4.0 billion of refined oil), and chemicals at £8.0 billion (with pharmaceuticals making up around £4.0 billion of that chemicals figure).

Services Trade Between The US And UK

Services is where the US-UK relationship is strongest. The UK exported £137.0 billion in services to the US in 2024 and imported £61.2 billion, which makes the US the UK’s single largest services trading partner. The US accounted for 26.7% of all UK services exports in 2024, far ahead of Germany (5.8%), Ireland (5.3%), and France (4.6%).

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Customs Compliance For US-UK Shipments

US-UK trade is clean on paper but requires accurate filings on both sides. Here is what matters most:

For US Importers Bringing Goods From The UK

Ocean shipments from UK ports (Felixstowe, London Gateway, Southampton, Liverpool) require an Importer Security Filing at least 24 hours before the vessel loads. Air shipments go through the AMS manifest on the carrier side. The importer or broker files the entry and pays duties, Merchandise Processing Fee, and Harbor Maintenance Fee where applicable. 

HTS classification and country-of-origin documentation are especially important for UK goods because many products sourced from UK manufacturers contain EU inputs, and origin rules affect duty rates.

For US Exporters Shipping To The UK

US exporters to the UK need an AES filing for Electronic Export Information on shipments valued over $2,500 per Schedule B classification. On the UK side, the importer must file an import declaration through HMRC’s Customs Declaration Service (CDS). Accurate commercial invoices, packing lists, and commodity codes on both sides prevent the most common delays at UK ports.

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How Artemus Simplifies US-UK Trade Compliance?

Moving goods between the US and UK depends on clean filings on both sides. A missed ISF or a mismatched AES submission can stop a shipment even when the underlying trade is straightforward. Artemus Transportation Solutions builds trade compliance software that removes those filing risks before they reach CBP.

Our ISF 10+2 web application has been in operation since 2008 and lets importers, freight forwarders, and NVOCCs file on time with automated data checks that catch mismatches before submission. Our AMS software handles electronic manifest filings for carriers meeting the 24-hour rule across ocean, air, and rail. 

Artemus’ AES filing platform manages Electronic Export Information submissions for US exporters, including the documentation structure needed for shipments to the UK.

Licensed customs brokers use our Customs Broker Software to manage filings and compliance across their entire client book. For non-US companies (including UK exporters) importing into the US, our Importer of Record Profile service handles the full onboarding, including CBP Form 5106 and continuous bond setup.

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FAQs

1. What Is The UK’s Biggest Export?

Cars are the UK’s single largest goods export at approximately £35 billion in 2024. Mechanical power generators and machinery come next at roughly £34 billion, followed by pharmaceuticals at around £26 billion and electrical machinery at approximately £23 billion. These category figures are derived from ONS UK trade in goods by classification statistics and GOV.UK trade in numbers publications.

2. What Are The Main Imports Of The UK?

Per UN Comtrade data (2024), the UK’s largest import categories are machinery including computers ($95.2 billion), precious metals/gold ($80 billion), mineral fuels ($75 billion), vehicles ($70 billion), electrical machinery ($55 billion), and pharmaceuticals ($35 billion). The machinery and computers category is the single largest at 11.7% of all UK imports.

3. What Is The UK’s Biggest Export To The USA?

Machinery and transport equipment dominate at £29.1 billion in 2024, accounting for nearly half of all UK goods exports to the US. Cars specifically hit £9 billion (27.4% of total UK car exports), and pharmaceuticals contributed £6.6 billion.

4. Is The US The UK’s Biggest Trading Partner?

Yes, on both sides. The US is the UK’s largest goods export partner at £59.3 billion (16.2% of all UK goods exports), the third-largest goods import partner, and by far the largest services trading partner at £137 billion of UK services exports and £61.2 billion of services imports in 2024.

5. Does The UK Have A Free Trade Agreement With The US?

The UK and the US do not have a comprehensive free trade agreement. Trade runs on WTO rules plus various sector-specific arrangements. The two countries have signed narrower agreements covering specific sectors over the years, but a full FTA has not been concluded.

6. What Is The UK’s Trade Balance?

The UK ran a total trade deficit of £25.1 billion in 2024 (total exports £832.6 billion, total imports £857.6 billion, excluding precious metals). In Q4 2024 alone, the goods deficit was £53.8 billion while the services surplus was £43.8 billion. The services surplus is the UK’s structural strength that partly offsets the goods deficit.

7. How Did Brexit Affect UK Trade?

Since leaving the EU single market in January 2021, UK-EU trade has been governed by the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which keeps most goods tariff-free but adds customs checks, rules-of-origin documentation, and inspections. 

The UK exports to the EU were £370.1 billion in 2024, versus £527.8 billion to non-EU countries, and the share of UK imports coming from the EU was 50.0% in 2024 (down from 51.8% in 2014). The EU remains the UK’s largest trading bloc, but non-EU markets now account for a larger share of exports.

Conclusion

The UK’s trade profile tells two very different stories. On the goods side, it runs a persistent deficit because it imports more cars, fuel, and machinery than it sells. On the services side, it is one of the world’s most competitive exporters, and the services surplus partly closes the gap. For US importers and exporters, the UK remains one of the most important and most accessible trade partners, with deep commercial ties across cars, pharmaceuticals, machinery, whisky, and professional services.

The paperwork side is stable and well-understood. What separates smooth US-UK shipments from stuck ones is the same thing it always is: accurate ISF and AES filings, correct HTS classification, and documentation that matches the cargo on both sides of the Atlantic.

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