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Where does the United Kingdom get its cars? Import sources 2024

In 2024, the United Kingdom imported $54.9 billion of cars (2.9 million tonnes), 5.7% of the world total. Its main sources were Germany (27%), China (9%) and Spain (9%). The United Kingdom was the world’s 3rd-largest importer of cars.

Summary

Value
$54.9billion
Tonnes
2.9million tonnes
Share of world total
5.7%
World rank
3rd
Routes from the main sources. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Sources

The 20 main sources in the latest year.

PartnerValue (USD billions)TonnesUSD per tonneShareMode
Germany15.1Tonnes: 732,797USD per tonne: $20,59727.5%Sea
China5.1Tonnes: 326,761USD per tonne: $15,7299.4%Sea
Spain5Tonnes: 311,399USD per tonne: $16,0709.1%Sea
Czechia4Tonnes: 217,064USD per tonne: $18,5867.3%Sea
Slovakia3.6Tonnes: 188,136USD per tonne: $19,1866.6%Sea
France3.1Tonnes: 160,608USD per tonne: $19,1715.6%Sea
Japan3Tonnes: 178,999USD per tonne: $16,6475.4%Sea
South Korea2.3Tonnes: 131,675USD per tonne: $17,5984.2%Sea
Romania1.6Tonnes: 58,608USD per tonne: $27,9893%Sea
Hungary1.5Tonnes: 88,285USD per tonne: $17,4062.8%Sea
Turkey1.5Tonnes: 104,032USD per tonne: $14,1222.7%Sea
Mexico1.4Tonnes: 34,719USD per tonne: $31,7602.6%Sea
Italy1.4Tonnes: 31,717USD per tonne: $42,8742.5%Air
South Africa1.4Tonnes: 75,966USD per tonne: $17,8582.5%Sea
Belgium re-exports1.1Tonnes: 74,950USD per tonne: $14,1621.9%Sea
United States1Tonnes: 49,618USD per tonne: $20,1191.8%Sea
Sweden0.76Tonnes: 43,785USD per tonne: $17,3961.4%Sea
Portugal0.67Tonnes: 35,667USD per tonne: $18,9141.2%Sea
Austria0.44Tonnes: 15,696USD per tonne: $28,1740.8%Sea
Morocco0.21Tonnes: 40,495USD per tonne: $5,2160.38%Sea

Trend

Who it buys from

Germany was its main source throughout the period

Value in USD billions. The five largest sources in 2024.

  • Germany 15.1
  • China 5.1
  • Spain 5
  • Czechia 4
  • Slovakia 3.6

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
Germany5.515.1
China< 0.015.1
Spain1.55
Czechia0.064
Slovakia03.6

Sources and methodology

Other products of this country

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), which reconciles what exporters and importers report: countries that stopped reporting (Russia since 2022) appear with their partners’ data. FOB values in current US dollars; tonnes when BACI reports them. The price per tonne is the value of the rows with a weight divided by that weight. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Data up to 2024.

Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands and Belgium re-export goods from other countries: their figures include transit.

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