globaltraffic.earth

Trade between Japan and the United Kingdom

In 2024, Japan exported $13.1 billion to the United Kingdom and imported $7.3 billion. Japan ran a surplus of $5.8 billion with the United Kingdom, compared with a surplus of $6.8 billion in 2019. The United Kingdom was Japan’s 19th largest trading partner (1% of its trade), and Japan was the United Kingdom’s 15th (2%).

Summary

Japan → United Kingdom
$13.1billion
United Kingdom → Japan
$7.3billion
Japan’s balance
$5.8billion

Balance

Japan’s trade balance with the United Kingdom

Trade between Japan and the United Kingdom is about the same as in 1995

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

  • Exports 13.1
  • Imports 7.3
  • Balance +5.8

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$14.9 billion$6.8 billion$8 billion
1996$13.8 billion$6.9 billion$6.8 billion
1997$15.1 billion$7 billion$8.1 billion
1998$15.9 billion$5.5 billion$10.3 billion
1999$15.3 billion$5.5 billion$9.8 billion
2000$20.5 billion$6.3 billion$14.1 billion
2001$17.6 billion$5.7 billion$11.9 billion
2002$17.2 billion$5.3 billion$11.9 billion
2003$18.9 billion$5.8 billion$13.1 billion
2004$20.6 billion$6.6 billion$14.1 billion
2005$21.1 billion$6.6 billion$14.5 billion
2006$20.2 billion$6.7 billion$13.4 billion
2007$20.4 billion$7.5 billion$12.9 billion
2008$19.9 billion$7.2 billion$12.7 billion
2009$13.4 billion$5.7 billion$7.7 billion
2010$16.4 billion$6.3 billion$10.1 billion
2011$17.7 billion$7.2 billion$10.5 billion
2012$13.5 billion$7.2 billion$6.3 billion
2013$10.9 billion$6.5 billion$4.4 billion
2014$10.3 billion$6.2 billion$4.2 billion
2015$10.5 billion$6.3 billion$4.2 billion
2016$15.7 billion$6.3 billion$9.4 billion
2017$14.7 billion$6.8 billion$7.9 billion
2018$13.4 billion$8 billion$5.4 billion
2019$14.6 billion$7.8 billion$6.8 billion
2020$11.6 billion$6.4 billion$5.3 billion
2021$10 billion$6.7 billion$3.3 billion
2022$12.9 billion$6.7 billion$6.2 billion
2023$14 billion$6.8 billion$7.2 billion
2024$13.1 billion$7.3 billion$5.8 billion

What they sell each other

What Japan sells to the United Kingdom

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

  1. Cars$3 billion · 22.8%
    179 thousand tonnes · Japan’s destinations
  2. Turbojets and gas turbines$893 million · 6.8%
    717 tonnes · Japan’s destinations
  3. Gold$793 million · 6.1%
    10 tonnes · Japan’s destinations
  4. Bulldozers and excavators$457 million · 3.5%
    56 thousand tonnes · Japan’s destinations
  5. Auto parts$455 million · 3.5%
    31 thousand tonnes · Japan’s destinations
  6. Printers and printing machines$281 million · 2.2%
    4 thousand tonnes
  7. Cargo and cruise ships$249 million · 1.9%
    2 thousand tonnes · Japan’s destinations
  8. Spark-ignition engines$245 million · 1.9%
    10 thousand tonnes
  9. Coke$238 million · 1.8%
    660 thousand tonnes
  10. Batteries$226 million · 1.7%
    8 thousand tonnes · Japan’s destinations

What the United Kingdom sells to Japan

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

  1. Turbojets and gas turbines$1.4 billion · 19.3%
    546 tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  2. Cars$929 million · 12.7%
    43 thousand tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  3. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$624 million · 8.6%
    3 thousand tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  4. Spirits$357 million · 4.9%
    43 thousand tonnes
  5. Vaccines, blood and antisera$315 million · 4.3%
    79 tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  6. Other plastic articles$116 million · 1.6%
    1 thousand tonnes
  7. Copper scrap$97 million · 1.3%
    13 thousand tonnes
  8. Platinum$93 million · 1.3%
    3 tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  9. Bulldozers and excavators$92 million · 1.3%
    9 thousand tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  10. Jewelry$82 million · 1.1%
    1 tonne · the United Kingdom’s destinations

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Yokohama to Felixstowe.

The estimated sea route between Yokohama and Felixstowe is 14,887 nautical miles (27,570 km) long: ≈ 34.5–44.5 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

Because of the 2024 disruptions, traffic is split: 85% via the Strait of Malacca and Singapore, the Cape of Good Hope and the Strait of Dover (14,887 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 (11,439 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$9.4 billion · 46.1%
  2. Air$11 billion · 53.9%

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

How much each matters to the other

The United Kingdom was Japan’s 19th largest trading partner (1% of its trade), and Japan was the United Kingdom’s 15th (2%).

The United Kingdom in Japan’s trade
1.4%
The United Kingdom’s rank among Japan’s partners
19th
Japan in the United Kingdom’s trade
1.8%
Japan’s rank among the United Kingdom’s partners
15th

Compare with

Other partners of Japan

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.