UK's Top 5 Trading Partners: Import and Export Rankings

Who Does the UK Trade With Most? Latest Import/Export Partners

The UK's trade relationships reveal its economic ties globally. Based on recent annual data (values in £ billions), here are the top five partners for both imports and exports.

Top 5 Import Partners (Goods Bought by UK)

1. China — £63.6bn (electronics, machinery, textiles, consumer goods)
2. Germany — £48.6bn (vehicles, machinery, pharmaceuticals, chemicals)
3. Netherlands — £45.4bn (fuels, machinery, food, flowers—major transit hub)
4. United States — £44.3bn (machinery, pharmaceuticals, aircraft, precious metals)
5. France — £32.9bn (vehicles, aircraft, pharmaceuticals, food/drink)

Top 5 Export Partners (Goods Sold by UK)

1. United States — £149.8bn (machinery, pharmaceuticals, vehicles, precious metals, financial services)
2. Germany — £97.7bn (vehicles, machinery, pharmaceuticals, chemicals)
3. Netherlands — £83.8bn (fuels, machinery, chemicals—major re-export hub)
4. China — £65.6bn (vehicles, machinery, pharmaceuticals, whisky, financial services)
5. Ireland — £39.9bn (machinery, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food/drink)

Key Observations

• US is the #1 export destination but only #4 for imports—reflecting UK services surplus with US
• Germany features in both top 5s—deep integrated supply chains
• Netherlands ranks high for both—partly due to Rotterdam port transit effects
• China is #1 for imports but #4 for exports—significant trade deficit
• Ireland appears only in exports—close economic ties, common travel area
• France appears only in imports—despite proximity, UK exports more to Ireland than France

Beyond Goods: Services Matter

These figures cover goods only. The UK runs a significant services surplus (financial, professional, tech, creative), with the US and EU as primary markets. Including services would further boost the US's #1 position.

Note: Figures based on latest available annual ONS/HMRC data. Rankings can shift quarterly due to exchange rates, commodity prices, and policy changes.