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Trade between Germany and the United Kingdom

In 2024, Germany exported $76.4 billion to the United Kingdom and imported $36.2 billion. Germany ran a surplus of $40.2 billion with the United Kingdom, compared with a surplus of $47.2 billion in 2019. The United Kingdom was Germany’s 9th largest trading partner (4% of its trade), and Germany was the United Kingdom’s 3rd (10%).

Summary

Germany → United Kingdom
$76.4billion
United Kingdom → Germany
$36.2billion
Germany’s balance
$40.2billion

Balance

Germany’s trade balance with the United Kingdom

Trade between Germany and the United Kingdom grew 65% since 1995

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

  • Exports 76.4
  • Imports 36.2
  • Balance +40.2

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$40.4 billion$27.7 billion$12.7 billion
1996$40.7 billion$29.1 billion$11.6 billion
1997$41.1 billion$28.5 billion$12.6 billion
1998$42.6 billion$29.8 billion$12.7 billion
1999$43.4 billion$29 billion$14.4 billion
2000$44 billion$29 billion$15 billion
2001$45.3 billion$31.7 billion$13.5 billion
2002$50.2 billion$30.1 billion$20 billion
2003$59.5 billion$31.2 billion$28.3 billion
2004$65.8 billion$37.1 billion$28.7 billion
2005$69.5 billion$44.1 billion$25.4 billion
2006$78 billion$47 billion$31 billion
2007$83.4 billion$50.6 billion$32.7 billion
2008$79.7 billion$56.7 billion$23 billion
2009$66.2 billion$41.4 billion$24.8 billion
2010$75.7 billion$46 billion$29.7 billion
2011$86.9 billion$55 billion$31.9 billion
2012$83 billion$48.2 billion$34.8 billion
2013$88.1 billion$46.7 billion$41.5 billion
2014$100.1 billion$45.5 billion$54.6 billion
2015$94.3 billion$39.3 billion$55 billion
2016$88.4 billion$35.6 billion$52.8 billion
2017$90.2 billion$38.1 billion$52.1 billion
2018$91.5 billion$39.6 billion$51.8 billion
2019$85.9 billion$38.7 billion$47.2 billion
2020$74 billion$36.5 billion$37.4 billion
2021$75.6 billion$37 billion$38.6 billion
2022$71.8 billion$37.1 billion$34.7 billion
2023$77 billion$35.4 billion$41.6 billion
2024$76.4 billion$36.2 billion$40.2 billion

What they sell each other

What Germany sells to the United Kingdom

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

  1. Cars$15.1 billion · 19.7%
    733 thousand tonnes · Germany’s destinations
  2. Gold$5.3 billion · 6.9%
    78 tonnes · Germany’s destinations
  3. Auto parts$2.9 billion · 3.7%
    200 thousand tonnes · Germany’s destinations
  4. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$2.3 billion · 3%
    28 thousand tonnes · Germany’s destinations
  5. Vaccines, blood and antisera$1.6 billion · 2.1%
    586 tonnes · Germany’s destinations
  6. Trucks$1.5 billion · 2%
    90 thousand tonnes · Germany’s destinations
  7. Engine parts$1.2 billion · 1.6%
    98 thousand tonnes
  8. Airplanes and helicopters$1.2 billion · 1.5%
    1 thousand tonnes · Germany’s destinations
  9. Aluminum sheet$977 million · 1.3%
    251 thousand tonnes
  10. Other industrial machines$876 million · 1.2%
    27 thousand tonnes

What the United Kingdom sells to Germany

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

  1. Crude petroleum$4.5 billion · 12.3%
    6.7 million tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  2. Aircraft parts$3.3 billion · 9.1%
    7 thousand tonnes
  3. Cars$3.1 billion · 8.6%
    105 thousand tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  4. Turbojets and gas turbines$2.1 billion · 5.9%
    2 thousand tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  5. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$2.1 billion · 5.9%
    5 thousand tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  6. Auto parts$716 million · 2%
    90 thousand tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  7. Nucleic acids and other heterocycles$692 million · 1.9%
    194 tonnes
  8. Other plastic articles$617 million · 1.7%
    16 thousand tonnes
  9. Medical and dental instruments$554 million · 1.5%
    8 thousand tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  10. Unwrought aluminum$426 million · 1.2%
    158 thousand tonnes · Germany’s sources

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Hamburg to Felixstowe.

The estimated sea route between Hamburg and Felixstowe is 391 nautical miles (723 km) long: ≈ 1 day at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

It does not cross any major canal or strait.

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$72.7 billion · 64.5%
  2. Air$40 billion · 35.5%

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

How much each matters to the other

The United Kingdom was Germany’s 9th largest trading partner (4% of its trade), and Germany was the United Kingdom’s 3rd (10%).

The United Kingdom in Germany’s trade
4%
The United Kingdom’s rank among Germany’s partners
9th
Germany in the United Kingdom’s trade
10%
Germany’s rank among the United Kingdom’s partners
3rd

Compare with

Other partners of Germany

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.