The United Kingdom trade deficit declined to £8.44 billion in April 2026, down from £9.66 billion in the previous month. Exports grew 1.1% month-on-month to a three-month high of £79.97 billion, while imports fell 0.4% to £88.41 billion. Goods exports rose 2.4% to £33.11 billion, driven by higher shipments to both EU and non-EU countries, which rose 2.6% each. Exports to the EU increased due to a £0.4 billion rise in machinery and transport equipment and aircraft to Germany. Services exports ticked up 0.2% to £46.86 billion. On the import side, goods imports fell 0.7% to £59.16 billion, with imports from non-EU countries declining 1.2%, mainly due to a £0.2 billion decline in fuel imports. Meanwhile, imports from EU countries grew 4.0%, supported by higher imports of fuel, machinery and transport equipment, along with chemicals. Services imports, meanwhile, edged up 0.1% to £29.25 billion. source: Office for National Statistics

The United Kingdom recorded a trade deficit of 8435 GBP Million in April of 2026. Balance of Trade in the United Kingdom averaged -1218.40 GBP Million from 1955 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 9471.00 GBP Million in May of 2020 and a record low of -10899.00 GBP Million in January of 2022. This page provides - United Kingdom Balance of Trade - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. United Kingdom Balance of Trade - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on June of 2026.

The United Kingdom recorded a trade deficit of 8435 GBP Million in April of 2026. Balance of Trade in the United Kingdom is expected to be -3600.00 GBP Million by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the United Kingdom Balance of Trade is projected to trend around -2500.00 GBP Million in 2027 and -2200.00 GBP Million in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-05-14 06:00 AM
Balance of Trade
Mar £-9.658B £-5.339B £ -3.4B
2026-06-12 06:00 AM
Balance of Trade
Apr £-8.435B £-9.658B £-4.1B
2026-07-16 06:00 AM
Balance of Trade
May £-8.435B £-3.9B



Components Last Previous Unit Reference
Exports 79973.00 79126.00 GBP Million Apr 2026
Goods Exports 33114.00 32350.00 GBP Million Apr 2026
Goods Imports 59160.00 59568.00 GBP Million Apr 2026
Goods Trade Balance -26046.00 -27218.00 GBP Million Apr 2026
Goods Trade Balance Non-EU -13048.00 -15195.00 GBP Million Apr 2026
Imports 88408.00 88784.00 GBP Million Apr 2026

Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Balance of Trade -8435.00 -9658.00 GBP Million Apr 2026
Capital Flows 8556.00 23510.00 GBP Million Dec 2025
Current Account -18392.00 -10689.00 GBP Million Dec 2025
Current Account to GDP -2.40 -3.00 percent of GDP Dec 2025
External Debt 8221019.00 8234887.00 GBP Million Dec 2025
Net Foreign Direct Investment 25417.00 23315.00 GBP Million Dec 2025
GDP Net Trade Contribution -0.19 -0.29 percentage points Mar 2026


United Kingdom Balance of Trade
The UK's trade balance has been in deficit since 1998, due to deficits in trade in goods which are partly offset by surpluses in trade in services. The level of total UK trade in goods as a proportion of total trade in goods and services has been gradually declining since 1986 after peaking at 75 percent in 1985. This is consistent with the rising share of UK trade in services (about 38 percent as of 2021). The UK has trade deficits with China, Norway, Germany, Spain, Poland, Russia, Italy and India; and surpluses with the United States, Ireland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
-8435.00 -9658.00 9471.00 -10899.00 1955 - 2026 GBP Million Monthly
Current Prices, SA

News Stream
UK Trade Deficit Narrows in April
The United Kingdom trade deficit declined to £8.44 billion in April 2026, down from £9.66 billion in the previous month. Exports grew 1.1% month-on-month to a three-month high of £79.97 billion, while imports fell 0.4% to £88.41 billion. Goods exports rose 2.4% to £33.11 billion, driven by higher shipments to both EU and non-EU countries, which rose 2.6% each. Exports to the EU increased due to a £0.4 billion rise in machinery and transport equipment and aircraft to Germany. Services exports ticked up 0.2% to £46.86 billion. On the import side, goods imports fell 0.7% to £59.16 billion, with imports from non-EU countries declining 1.2%, mainly due to a £0.2 billion decline in fuel imports. Meanwhile, imports from EU countries grew 4.0%, supported by higher imports of fuel, machinery and transport equipment, along with chemicals. Services imports, meanwhile, edged up 0.1% to £29.25 billion.
2026-06-12
UK Trade Gap Widens to Largest Since 2022
The United Kingdom trade deficit widened to £9.66 billion in March 2026, up from an upwardly revised £5.34 billion in the previous month, marking the largest trade gap since January 2022. Exports rose 0.2% month-on-month to £79.13 billion, while imports grew at a faster pace of 5.3% to a three-month high of £88.78 billion. Goods exports edged up 0.1% to £32.35 billion, driven by higher shipments to the EU (3.9%), while those to non-EU countries remained relatively unchanged. Exports to the EU increased due to a £0.6 billion rise in fuel exports and a £0.2 billion increase in chemical exports. Services exports ticked up 0.2% to £46.78 billion. On the import side, goods imports inched up 0.1% to £59.57 billion, with imports from the EU rising 2.7%, mainly driven by a £0.5 billion increase in fuel imports. Imports from non-EU countries rose 7.5%, supported by higher imports of machinery and transport equipment, along with fuel. Meanwhile, services imports were unchanged at £29.21 billion.
2026-05-14
UK Trade Balance Swings to Deficit
The UK posted a trade deficit of £0.72 billion in February 2026, shifting from a downwardly revised surplus of £3.02 billion in the previous month, as exports fell while imports rose. Exports dropped 1.5% mom to £80.20 billion, while imports grew 3.2% to a three-month high of £80.92 billion. Goods exports declined 3.9% to £33.26 billion, weighed down by lower shipments to both the EU (-0.7%) and non-EU countries (-2.3%). Exports to the EU fell due to small declines across several commodities. Exports to non-EU markets were driven by a £0.3 billion fall in chemical exports, along with £0.2 billion decreases in exports of both machinery and transport equipment, and miscellaneous manufactures. In contrast, exports of goods to the US rose 11.3%, amid higher machinery and transport equipment, and material manufactures. Services exports ticked up 0.3% to £46.95 billion. On the import side, goods imports grew 4.7% to £52.05 billion, while services imports rose 0.6% to £28.88 billion.
2026-04-16