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Trade between Australia and the United Kingdom

In 2024, Australia exported $8 billion to the United Kingdom and imported $5.4 billion. Australia ran a surplus of $2.6 billion with the United Kingdom, compared with a surplus of $5.6 billion in 2019. The United Kingdom was Australia’s 13th largest trading partner (2% of its trade), and Australia was the United Kingdom’s 23rd (1%).

Summary

Australia → United Kingdom
$8billion
United Kingdom → Australia
$5.4billion
Australia’s balance
$2.6billion

Balance

Australia’s trade balance with the United Kingdom

Trade between Australia and the United Kingdom grew 2.6-fold since 1995

USD billions (current). Australia’s exports and imports; bars: its balance (green surplus, red deficit).

  • Exports 8
  • Imports 5.4
  • Balance +2.6

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$1.9 billion$3.4 billion-$1.5 billion
1996$2.3 billion$3.9 billion-$1.7 billion
1997$2.2 billion$3.9 billion-$1.7 billion
1998$3.4 billion$3.5 billion-$137 million
1999$2.6 billion$3.6 billion-$934 million
2000$2.9 billion$4.1 billion-$1.2 billion
2001$3 billion$3.4 billion-$476 million
2002$3.4 billion$3.3 billion$40 million
2003$4.3 billion$3.7 billion$566 million
2004$3.7 billion$4.4 billion-$694 million
2005$3.8 billion$4.9 billion-$1.1 billion
2006$4.3 billion$4.9 billion-$629 million
2007$4.8 billion$7 billion-$2.1 billion
2008$4.8 billion$8.6 billion-$3.8 billion
2009$3.7 billion$5 billion-$1.3 billion
2010$3.6 billion$5.4 billion-$1.8 billion
2011$4.1 billion$6.8 billion-$2.7 billion
2012$3.6 billion$6.9 billion-$3.3 billion
2013$3.5 billion$6 billion-$2.5 billion
2014$3.2 billion$5.7 billion-$2.4 billion
2015$2.9 billion$5.4 billion-$2.6 billion
2016$7.1 billion$5.4 billion$1.7 billion
2017$4.9 billion$5.4 billion-$585 million
2018$3.6 billion$5.7 billion-$2 billion
2019$10.8 billion$5.2 billion$5.6 billion
2020$10 billion$5 billion$5 billion
2021$3.4 billion$5.6 billion-$2.2 billion
2022$2.7 billion$5.5 billion-$2.9 billion
2023$4.5 billion$5.6 billion-$1.1 billion
2024$8 billion$5.4 billion$2.6 billion

What they sell each other

What Australia sells to the United Kingdom

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Gold$5.7 billion · 70.9%
    70 tonnes · Australia’s destinations
  2. Unwrought lead$383 million · 4.8%
    117 thousand tonnes
  3. Orthopedic and hearing devices$350 million · 4.4%
    86 tonnes
  4. Wine$289 million · 3.6%
    193 thousand tonnes · Australia’s destinations
  5. Lamb and goat meat$105 million · 1.3%
    18 thousand tonnes · Australia’s destinations
  6. Titanium ore$80 million · 1%
    62 thousand tonnes
  7. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$62 million · 0.77%
    233 tonnes · the United Kingdom’s sources
  8. Fresh beef$55 million · 0.69%
    5 thousand tonnes
  9. Makeup and skin care$46 million · 0.57%
    3 thousand tonnes · the United Kingdom’s sources
  10. Silver$42 million · 0.53%
    48 tonnes · the United Kingdom’s sources

What the United Kingdom sells to Australia

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Cars$671 million · 12.5%
    23 thousand tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  2. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$311 million · 5.8%
    7 thousand tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  3. Spirits$233 million · 4.3%
    23 thousand tonnes
  4. Turbojets and gas turbines$136 million · 2.5%
    65 tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  5. Dredgers and floating cranes$126 million · 2.3%
    20 thousand tonnes
  6. Sorting and crushing machines$113 million · 2.1%
    11 thousand tonnes
  7. Vaccines, blood and antisera$104 million · 1.9%
    76 tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  8. Trucks$102 million · 1.9%
    6 thousand tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  9. Bread, biscuits and pastries$95 million · 1.8%
    18 thousand tonnes
  10. Live horses, donkeys and mules$82 million · 1.5%
    187 tonnes

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Sydney to Felixstowe.

The estimated sea route between Sydney and Felixstowe is 13,242 nautical miles (24,524 km) long: ≈ 30.5–39.5 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

Because of the 2024 disruptions, traffic is split: 85% via the Cape of Good Hope and the Strait of Dover (13,242 nautical miles); and 15% via the Strait of Malacca and Singapore, the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, the Suez Canal, the Strait of Gibraltar and the Strait of Dover (12,617 nautical miles).

Sailing estimate without port calls, waiting or transshipment; not a schedule. One main reference port per country: in large countries it does not represent all of its ports.

Split by transport mode

  1. Sea$4.6 billion · 34.2%
  2. Air$8.8 billion · 65.8%

Mode estimated from value per kilo and geography; both directions together.

How much each matters to the other

The United Kingdom was Australia’s 13th largest trading partner (2% of its trade), and Australia was the United Kingdom’s 23rd (1%).

The United Kingdom in Australia’s trade
2.1%
The United Kingdom’s rank among Australia’s partners
13th
Australia in the United Kingdom’s trade
1.2%
Australia’s rank among the United Kingdom’s partners
23rd

Compare with

Other partners of Australia

Other partners of the United Kingdom

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. The sea route comes from our own network derived from World Bank shipping density (not from nautical charts), between one main reference port per country (World Port Index); days are the distance at 14 and 18 knots, without port calls or waiting. Data up to 2024.