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

In 2024, the United Kingdom imported $3 billion of cosmetics (174 thousand tonnes), 4.3% of the world total. Its main sources were the United States (17%), France (16%) and China (15%). The United Kingdom was the world’s 5th-largest importer of cosmetics.

Summary

Value
$3billion
Tonnes
174thousand tonnes
Share of world total
4.3%
World rank
5th
Routes from the main sources. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Sources

The 20 main sources in the latest year.

PartnerValue (USD millions)TonnesUSD per tonneShareMode
United States520Tonnes: 17,349USD per tonne: $29,95017.4%Sea
France469Tonnes: 18,150USD per tonne: $25,86415.7%Sea
China448Tonnes: 37,780USD per tonne: $11,84915%Sea
Italy268Tonnes: 9,906USD per tonne: $27,0619%Sea
Germany190Tonnes: 15,813USD per tonne: $12,0396.4%Sea
Poland178Tonnes: 17,607USD per tonne: $10,1066%Sea
Canada168Tonnes: 3,513USD per tonne: $47,8025.6%Air
South Korea167Tonnes: 4,379USD per tonne: $38,1695.6%Sea
Spain91Tonnes: 10,315USD per tonne: $8,8233.1%Sea
Belgium re-exports47.2Tonnes: 1,409USD per tonne: $33,4781.6%Sea
Switzerland46.2Tonnes: 648USD per tonne: $71,3051.6%Air
Australia45.6Tonnes: 3,428USD per tonne: $13,3061.5%Sea
Thailand44.9Tonnes: 5,307USD per tonne: $8,4531.5%Sea
Taiwan37Tonnes: 1,349USD per tonne: $27,4271.2%Sea
Japan30.7Tonnes: 507USD per tonne: $60,6291%Air
Denmark28.9Tonnes: 293USD per tonne: $98,5480.97%Air
Netherlands re-exports26.4Tonnes: 2,646USD per tonne: $9,9770.89%Sea
Ireland25.2Tonnes: 8,678USD per tonne: $2,9010.84%Land
Greece22.3Tonnes: 3,876USD per tonne: $5,7590.75%Sea
Israel19.2Tonnes: 793USD per tonne: $24,2480.64%Sea

Trend

Who it buys from

The United States has been its main source since 2022

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

  • United States 520
  • France 469
  • China 448
  • Italy 268
  • Germany 190

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
United States50.8520
France145469
China1.3448
Italy19.4268
Germany69.5190

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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