UK overseas trade in goods statistics: August 2026
This section is Accredited official statistics
Find UK overseas trade statistics data detailing international trade in goods at product and summary level.
Summary of trade trends
In August 2026 total goods exports were £31.3 billion:
- down by £6.1 billion or 16% compared with July 2026
- up by £2.5 billion or 8.5% compared with August 2025
In August 2026 total goods imports were £67.9 billion:
- up by £0.5 billion or 0.8% compared with July 2026
- up by £15.6 billion or 30% compared with August 2025
The UK was a net importer in August 2026, with imports exceeding exports by £36.6 billion. This increased the magnitude of the trade balance by £6.6 billion on July 2026.
EU and non-EU trade in goods
EU trade in goods
In August 2026 EU exports were £14.1 billion:
- down by £2.8 billion or 17% compared with July 2026
- up by £1.0 billion or 7.4% compared with August 2025
In August 2026 EU imports were £26.7 billion:
- down by £3.3 billion or 11% compared with July 2026
- up by £1.5 billion or 6.1% compared with August 2025
For EU trade, the UK was a net importer in August 2026, with imports exceeding exports by £12.6 billion.
Non-EU trade in goods
In August 2026 non-EU exports were £17.2 billion:
- down by £3.2 billion or 16% compared with July 2026
- up by £1.5 billion or 9.5% compared with August 2025
In August 2026 non-EU imports were £41.2 billion:
- up by £3.9 billion or 10% compared with July 2026
- up by £14.1 billion or 52% compared with August 2025
For non-EU trade, the UK was a net importer in August 2026, with imports exceeding exports by £24.0 billion.
Top trading partners
Exports: top 5 trading partners (August 2026)
|
Partner country |
Value (£ billion) |
Change since |
|
USA |
4.4 |
-7.1 |
|
China |
3.4 |
-29.3 |
|
Germany |
2.4 |
-27.5 |
|
Ireland |
2.2 |
0.8 |
|
Netherlands |
2.1 |
-19.0 |
Imports: top 5 trading partners (August 2026)
|
Partner country |
Value (£ billion) |
Change since |
|
Switzerland |
10.7 |
146.7 |
|
Germany |
6.4 |
-10.3 |
|
China |
6.0 |
-5.7 |
|
USA |
5.4 |
-12.0 |
|
Netherlands |
4.5 |
-1.0 |
Top traded commodities
Top 5 exported commodities (August 2026)
|
Commodity |
Value (£ billion) |
Change since |
|
Mechanical appliances |
6.7 |
-10.0 |
|
Precious metals |
3.9 |
-31.8 |
|
Mineral fuels |
2.8 |
-15.1 |
|
Electronic equipment |
2.3 |
-5.1 |
|
Motor vehicles |
1.8 |
-36.3 |
Top 5 imported commodities (August 2026)
|
Commodity |
Value (£ billion) |
Change since |
|
Precious metals |
19.2 |
54.0 |
|
Mechanical appliances |
7.0 |
-16.3 |
|
Mineral fuels |
5.9 |
3.2 |
|
Motor vehicles |
5.6 |
-20.8 |
|
Electronic equipment |
4.9 |
-6.3 |
Full commentary
Visit GOV.UK for more details and analysis of August 2026 data.
Data sets
Following consultation, we have stopped publishing a number of pre-prepared trade data tables.
The same data remains available through Build Your Own Tables (BYOT) and the API, which now provide greater flexibility and functionality.
Using BYOT and the API as a single source will help ensure updates and revisions are applied consistently and users can access the latest information.
Access monthly data for combined EU and non-EU trade.
Earlier data
Find earlier overseas trade statistics.
Get help with using data
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- learn more about this data and our data sources
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