UK overseas trade in goods statistics: January 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 January 2026:
total goods exports were £31.7 billion:
- up by £2.3 billion or 7.6% compared with December 2025
- down by £13.6 billion or 30% compared with January 2025
total goods imports were £63.7 billion:
- down by £7.1 billion or 10% compared with December 2025
- up by £12.1 billion or 24% compared with January 2025
the UK was a net importer, with imports exceeding exports by
£32.0 billion, decreasing the magnitude of the trade gap by £9.3 billion on December 2025.
EU and non-EU trade in goods
EU trade in goods
In January 2026:
EU exports were £14.6 billion:
- up by £1.1 billion or 8.4% compared with December 2025
- down by £0.2 billion or 1.1% compared with January 2025
EU imports were £25.3 billion:
- down by £0.4 billion or 1.6% compared with December 2025
- up by £1.3 billion or 5.5% compared with January 2025
for EU trade, the UK was a net importer, with imports exceeding exports by £10.7 billion.
Non-EU trade in goods
In January 2026:
Non-EU exports were £17.1 billion:
- up by £1.1 billion or 7.0% compared with December 2025
- down by £13.4 billion or 44% compared with January 2025
Non-EU imports were £38.4 billion:
- down by £6.7 billion or 15% compared with December 2025
- up by £10.8 billion or 39% compared with January 2025
for non-EU trade, the UK was a net importer, with imports exceeding exports by £21.3 billion.
Top trading partners
Top 5 trading partners by combined exports and imports value
|
Partner country |
Exports value |
Change since December 2025 (%) |
Imports |
Change since December 2025 (%) |
|
USA |
3.6 |
-12.1 |
9.2 |
34.6 |
|
Germany |
2.9 |
22.9 |
6.1 |
5.8 |
|
Switzerland |
1.0 |
142.3 |
7.0 |
-32.9 |
|
China |
2.0 |
86.9 |
5.1 |
-4.1 |
|
Netherlands |
2.7 |
40.2 |
3.7 |
-3.5 |
Exports: top 5 trading partners
|
Partner country |
Value (£ billion) |
Change since |
|
USA |
3.6 |
-12.1 |
|
Germany |
2.9 |
22.9 |
|
Netherlands |
2.7 |
40.2 |
|
China |
2.0 |
86.9 |
|
Ireland |
1.8 |
-2.1 |
Imports: top 5 trading partners
|
Partner country |
Value (£ billion) |
Change since |
|
USA |
9.2 |
34.6 |
|
Switzerland |
7.0 |
-32.9 |
|
Germany |
6.1 |
5.8 |
|
China |
5.1 |
-4.1 |
|
Netherlands |
3.7 |
-3.5 |
Top traded commodities
Top 5 commodities by combined exports and imports value
|
Commodity |
Exports value |
Change since December 2025 (%) |
Imports |
Change since December 2025 (%) |
|
Precious metals |
5.3 |
145.9 |
17.7 |
-25.7 |
|
Mechanical appliances |
7.4 |
5.2 |
7.3 |
3.8 |
|
Motor vehicles |
2.1 |
-19.1 |
5.1 |
-7.6 |
|
Mineral fuels |
1.8 |
8.9 |
4.9 |
-1.4 |
|
Electronic equipment |
2.0 |
-3.6 |
4.6 |
-5.6 |
Top 5 exported commodities
|
Commodity |
Value (£ billion) |
Change since |
|
Mechanical appliances |
7.4 |
5.2 |
|
Precious metals |
5.3 |
145.9 |
|
Motor vehicles |
2.1 |
-19.1 |
|
Electronic equipment |
2.0 |
-3.6 |
|
Mineral fuels |
1.8 |
8.9 |
Top 5 imported commodities
|
Commodity |
Value (£ billion) |
Change since |
|
Precious metals |
17.7 |
-25.7 |
|
Mechanical appliances |
7.3 |
3.8 |
|
Motor vehicles |
5.1 |
-7.6 |
|
Mineral fuels |
4.9 |
-1.4 |
|
Electronic equipment |
4.6 |
-5.6 |
Full commentary
Visit GOV.UK for more details and analysis of January 2026 data.
Data sets
We are working to improve the usability and accessibility of downloadable spreadsheets. From 11 July 2025, they are gradually becoming available to download in the Open Document Spreadsheet (ODS) format. Data sets published before this date will remain as XLSX files.
Access monthly data for combined EU and non-EU trade.
- UK overseas trade in goods January 2026: import data (ODS, 24.4 KB)
- UK overseas trade in goods January 2026: export data (ODS, 23.8 KB)
- Gold trade for January 2026 (ODS, 29.6 KB)
- Top 20 traded goods by Chapter: January 2026 (ODS, 14 KB)
- Top 20 traded goods by Standard International Trade Classification: January 2026 (ODS, 15.7 KB)
- Top 25 trading partners: January 2026 (ODS, 14.8 KB)
Earlier data
Find earlier overseas trade statistics.
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