UK overseas trade in goods statistics: May 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 May 2026, total goods exports were £39.2 billion:
- up by £2.8 billion or 7.7% compared with April 2026
- up by £6.2 billion or 19% compared with May 2025
In May 2026, total goods imports were £63.7 billion:
- up by £0.1 billion or 0.2% compared with April 2026
- up by £5.2 billion or 8.9% compared with May 2025
The UK was a net importer in May 2026, with imports exceeding exports by £24.5 billion. This decreased the magnitude of the trade gap by £2.7 billion on April 2026.
EU and non-EU trade in goods
EU trade in goods
In May 2026, EU exports were £16.6 billion:
- down by £0.4 billion or 2.2% compared with April 2026
- up by £0.9 billion or 5.4% compared with May 2025
In May 2026, EU imports were £28.3 billion:
- down by £1.2 billion or 3.9% compared with April 2026
- up by £0.7 billion or 2.7% compared with May 2025
For EU trade, the UK was a net importer in May 2026, with imports exceeding exports by £11.7 billion.
Non-EU trade in goods
In May 2026, non-EU exports were £22.7 billion:
- up by £3.2 billion or 16% compared with April 2026
- up by £5.3 billion or 31% compared with May 2025
In May 2026, non-EU imports were £35.4 billion:
- up by £1.3 billion or 3.8% compared with April 2026
- up by £4.5 billion or 14% compared with May 2025
For non-EU trade, the UK was a net importer in May 2026, with imports exceeding exports by £12.8 billion.
Top trading partners
Exports: top 5 trading partners (May 2026)
|
Partner country |
Value (£ billion) |
Change since |
|
China |
6.4 |
67.4 |
|
USA |
4.9 |
20.9 |
|
Germany |
3.1 |
2.9 |
|
Netherlands |
2.7 |
6.5 |
|
France |
2.2 |
-19.5 |
Imports: top 5 trading partners (May 2026)
|
Partner country |
Value (£ billion) |
Change since |
|
Germany |
5.9 |
-8.7 |
|
USA |
5.5 |
-12.2 |
|
Switzerland |
5.5 |
40.0 |
|
China |
5.2 |
-2.8 |
|
Netherlands |
4.2 |
-11.4 |
Top traded commodities
Top 5 exported commodities (May 2026)
|
Commodity |
Value (£ billion) |
Change since |
|
Precious Metals |
8.3 |
23.6 |
|
Mechanical appliances |
7.5 |
1.0 |
|
Mineral fuels |
3.0 |
-3.7 |
|
Motor vehicles |
2.8 |
20.3 |
|
Electronic equipment |
2.4 |
1.0 |
Top 5 imported commodities (May 2026)
|
Commodity |
Value (£ billion) |
Change since |
|
Precious metals |
12.6 |
7.8 |
|
Mechanical appliances |
8.0 |
-2.0 |
|
Mineral fuels |
6.4 |
-0.2 |
|
Motor vehicles |
5.6 |
-11.9 |
|
Electronic equipment |
4.9 |
-5.3 |
Full commentary
Visit GOV.UK for more details and analysis of May 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 May 2026: import data (ODS, 21.4 KB)
- UK overseas trade in goods May 2026: export data (ODS, 21.7 KB)
- Gold trade for May 2026 (ODS, 24.8 KB)
- Top 20 traded goods by Chapter: May 2026 (ODS, 12.6 KB)
- Top 25 trading partners: May 2026 (ODS, 12.6 KB)
- Top 20 traded goods by Standard International Trade Classification: May 2026 (ODS, 13.3 KB)
Earlier data
Find earlier overseas trade statistics.
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