DIT UK Trade in Numbers February 2019
Foreword
With the renewed focus on trade that our department brings and the interest in UK trade data this brings, I am delighted to present this pocketbook of UK trade and investment statistics. Trade statistics are a fascinating aspect of economic statistics and are a substantial source of information to help inform how we meet the challenges of trade policy and promotion in the UK.
Trade statistics are derived from a number of sources and can be presented in different ways. The UK’s trade statistics are primarily provided by Office for National Statistics (ONS) releases including the ONS UK monthly trade, UK Balance of Payments as well as the ‘Pink Book’.
These releases, alongside the newly available ONS Quarterly Trade in Services by Partner Country release, set out the UK’s economic relationship with other countries on an internationally comparable basis.
But beneath the surface is a wealth of data for us to understand and exploit for developing trade and investment policy. This pocketbook brings together and summarises this wealth of trade statistics produced by ONS, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), Department for International Trade (DIT), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and others into a single visual product.
I hope it proves to be a handy reference whether you use trade statistics on a daily basis or are travelling abroad and want to show the UK trade position to colleagues.
Tom Knight
Chief Statistician
Department for International Trade
UK Trade in Numbers Summary Calendar Year 2018
UK Trade in Numbers Summary Calendar Year 2018
Summary (calendar year*)
UK Total trade (2018*) £1,291.0bn (up 2.5%)
Source: ONS UK Trade (December 2018)
of which (as % change since 2017):
Imports: £661.7bn (up 3.1%)
Exports: £629.4bn (up 1.9%)
Goods: £838.8bn (up 3.0%)
Services: £452.3bn (up 1.7%)
Source: ONS UK Trade (December 2018)
(2017*)
EU: £619.3bn (up 11.5%)
Non-EU: £639.8bn (up 8.6%)
Source: ONS Balance of Payments (July to September 2018)
2018
Trade as % of GDP 61.1% (down -0.4 ppts)
Trade deficit as % of GDP 1.5% (up 0.4 ppts)
Exports as a % of GDP 29.8% (down -0.4 ppts)
Source: ONS UK Trade (December 2018) and ONS GDP first quarterly estimate, UK (January to March 2018)
2017
Number of GB businesses exporting* : 235,800 (up 6.6%)
Proportion of GB businesses exporting* : 9.9% (up 0.5 ppts)
Source: ONS, Annual Business Survey, Great Britain Non-Financial Business Economy: 2017 Exporters and Importers.
*Experimental statistics. Only covers registered businesses in the GB non-financial business economy.
2017
Outward FDI Stock £1,313.3bn (up 3.0%)
Inward FDI Stock £1,336.5bn (up 12.6%)
Note: Data are on a directional basis
Source: ONS Foreign Direct Investment Involving UK Companies: 2017
2017
Global Ranking: Outward FDI stock 5th
Global Ranking: Inward FDI stock 3rd
Note: Data are on a directional basis
Source: UNCTAD
UK Trade in Numbers Summary Latest Period 2018
UK Trade in Numbers Summary Latest Period 2018
Summary (latest period*)
UK Total trade (Year ending Dec 2018*) £1,291.0bn (up 2.5%)
Source: ONS UK Trade (December 2018)
of which (as % change since 2017):
Imports: £661.7bn (up 3.1%)
Exports: £629.4bn (up 1.9%)
Goods: £838.8bn (up 3.0%)
Services: £452.3bn (up 1.7%)
Source: ONS UK Trade (December 2018)
(Year ending Sept 2018*
EU: £637.3bn (up 4.6%)
Non-EU: £643.9bn (up 1.0%)
Source: ONS Balance of Payments (July to September 2018)
2018
Trade as % of GDP 61.1% (down -0.4 ppts)
Trade deficit as % of GDP 1.5% (up 0.4 ppts)
Exports as a % of GDP 29.8% (down -0.4 ppts)
Source: ONS UK Trade (December 2018) and ONS GDP first quarterly estimate, UK (January to March 2018)
*Figures provided are for the latest 12 month period for which data are available (whilst figures in brackets show the change compared to previous 12 months where applicable).
Top 10 UK Trading Partners (2017)
Top 10 UK Trading Partners (2017)
Total Trade £bn (% of Total Trade)
1. United States* £183.2bn (14.6%)
2. Germany £134.9bn (10.7%)
3. Netherlands 85.7bn (6.8%)
4. France £81.4bn (6.5%)
5. China £67.0bn (5.3%)
6. Ireland £58.7bn (4.7%)
7. Spain £48.6bn (3.9%)
8. Belgium £47.1bn (3.7%)
9. Italy £43.1bn (3.4%)
10. Switzerland £32.1bn (2.6%)
Note: These figures for countries are only available on a non-seasonally adjusted basis, therefore for aggregate totals we recommend users to use summary page 6. Summary page 6 provides seasonally adjusted figures showing totals for UK total trade with the World, EU and Non-EU.
* including Puerto Rico
Source: ONS UK Trade experimental quarterly trade in goods and services: July to September 2018
Top 10 UK Export Markets for Goods and Services (2017)
Top 10 UK Export Markets for Goods and Services (2017)
Export market : UK export value £bn : (% change from 2016) : (% of total exports)
1. United States* £113.8bn (up 11.2%) (18.4%)
2. Germany £56.4bn (up 13.1%) (9.1%)
3. France £41.0bn (up 16.3%) (6.6%)
4. Netherlands £38.6bn (up 13.4%) (6.2%)
5. Ireland £36.7bn (up 25.1%) (6.0%)
6. China £22.1bn (up 25.5%) (3.6%)
7. Switzerland £20.0bn (down -2.2%) (3.2%)
8. Belgium £19.3bn (up 20.5%) (3.1%)
9. Italy £19.3bn (up 2.8%) (3.1%)
10. Spain £17.3bn (up 8.1%) (2.8%)
Note: These figures for countries are only available on a non-seasonally adjusted basis, therefore for aggregate totals we recommend users to use summary page 6. Summary page 6 provides seasonally adjusted figures showing totals for UK total trade with the World, EU and Non-EU.
*including Puerto Rico
Source: ONS UK Trade experimental quarterly trade in goods and services: July to September 2018
Top 10 UK Goods Exports (2018)
Top 10 UK Goods Exports (2018)
Goods Exported £bn : (% change from 2017) : % of total goods exports
1. Cars £33.3bn (down -2.7%) 9.5%
2. Mechanical power generators (intermediate) £24.7bn (up 5.4%) 7.1%
3. Medicinal and pharmaceutical products £24.7bn (down -9.3%) 7.1%
4. Crude oil £19.1bn (up 25.3%) 5.5%
5. Aircraft £15.0bn (down -9.5%) 4.3%
6. Refined oil £14.1bn (up 21.2%) 4.0%
7. Non-ferrous metals £9.6bn (up 11.0%) 2.7%
8. Scientific instruments (capital) £9.3bn (up 0.8%) 2.6%
9. Miscellaneous electrical goods (intermediate) £9.2bn (up 3.4%) 2.6%
10. Organic chemicals £9.2bn (up 9.3%) 2.6%
Total goods exports: £350.0bn
Source: ONS UK Trade (December 2018)
Top 5 UK Services Exports (2017)
Top 5 UK Services Exports (2017)
Services Exported £bn : (% change from 2016) : % of total services exports
1. Other business services* £80.8bn (up 11.0%) 29.0%
2. Financial services £58.8bn (up 5.1%) 21.1%
3. Travel services £38.1bn (up 7.4%) 13.7%
4. Transport services £29.7bn (up 7.0%) 10.7%
5. Telecomms, computer and information £19.9bn (up 2.0%) 7.1%
*including professional, management consulting, technical and trade-related services
Total services exports: £278.8bn
Source: ONS Balance of Payments (July to September 2018)
Top 10 UK Import Markets for Goods and Services (2017)
Top 10 UK Import Markets for Goods and Services (2017)
Import market : UK import value £bn : (% change from 2016) : (% of total imports)
1. Germany £78.6bn (up 8.7%) (12.3%)
2. United States* £69.5bn (up 7.9%) (10.8%)
3. Netherlands £47.1bn (up 14.2%) (7.3%)
4. China £44.9bn (up 8.8%) (7.0%)
5. France £40.4bn (up 8.0%) (6.3%)
6. Spain £31.3bn (up 4.3%) (4.9%)
7. Belgium £27.9bn (up 6.2%) (4.3%)
8. Italy £23.8bn (up 6.2%) (3.7%)
9. Ireland £21.9bn (up 7.9%) (3.4%)
10. Norway £21.0bn (up 43.0%) (3.3%)
Note: These figures for countries are only available on a non-seasonally adjusted basis, therefore for aggregate totals we recommend users to use summary page 6. Summary page 6 provides seasonally adjusted figures showing totals for UK total trade with the World, EU and Non-EU.
*including Puerto Rico
Source: ONS UK Trade experimental quarterly trade in goods and services: July to September 2018
