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Trade between Kuwait and the United Kingdom

In 2024, Kuwait exported $3.6 billion to the United Kingdom and imported $602 million. Kuwait ran a surplus of $3 billion with the United Kingdom, compared with a surplus of $23 million in 2019. The United Kingdom was Kuwait’s 8th largest trading partner (4% of its trade), and Kuwait was the United Kingdom’s 42nd (0.4%).

Summary

Kuwait → United Kingdom
$3.6billion
United Kingdom → Kuwait
$602million
Kuwait’s balance
$3billion

Balance

Kuwait’s trade balance with the United Kingdom

Trade between Kuwait and the United Kingdom grew 4.4-fold since 1995

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

  • Exports 3.6
  • Imports 0.6
  • Balance +3

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$227 million$724 million-$497 million
1996$252 million$850 million-$598 million
1997$307 million$765 million-$458 million
1998$211 million$491 million-$280 million
1999$160 million$400 million-$240 million
2000$446 million$419 million$26 million
2001$419 million$424 million-$5 million
2002$363 million$452 million-$89 million
2003$550 million$516 million$35 million
2004$754 million$570 million$184 million
2005$616 million$760 million-$144 million
2006$1.6 billion$727 million$901 million
2007$2.1 billion$776 million$1.3 billion
2008$1.8 billion$949 million$891 million
2009$1.1 billion$661 million$417 million
2010$1.5 billion$892 million$580 million
2011$2.2 billion$824 million$1.4 billion
2012$2.2 billion$894 million$1.3 billion
2013$2.5 billion$894 million$1.6 billion
2014$2.2 billion$842 million$1.4 billion
2015$1.1 billion$911 million$204 million
2016$862 million$749 million$113 million
2017$939 million$842 million$97 million
2018$677 million$894 million-$217 million
2019$804 million$781 million$23 million
2020$307 million$1.1 billion-$804 million
2021$652 million$879 million-$228 million
2022$2.5 billion$809 million$1.7 billion
2023$3.3 billion$905 million$2.4 billion
2024$3.6 billion$602 million$3 billion

What they sell each other

What Kuwait sells to the United Kingdom

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

  1. Refined petroleum$3.5 billion · 99.3%
    4.2 million tonnes · Kuwait’s destinations
  2. Polyethylene$13 million · 0.35%
    13 thousand tonnes
  3. Chemically modified fats and oils$2 million · 0.05%
    2 thousand tonnes
  4. Liquid pumps$873 thousand · 0.02%
    2 tonnes
  5. Educational models and instruments$752 thousand · 0.02%
  6. Ferroalloys$722 thousand · 0.02%
    532 tonnes
  7. Women's knitted coats and jackets$635 thousand · 0.02%
    12 tonnes
  8. Radar, GPS receivers and remote controls$510 thousand · 0.01%
  9. Parts for cranes and excavators$446 thousand · 0.01%
    3 tonnes
  10. Perfumes$393 thousand · 0.01%
    6 tonnes · the United Kingdom’s sources

What the United Kingdom sells to Kuwait

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

  1. Cars$76 million · 12.6%
    5 thousand tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  2. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$65 million · 10.8%
    595 tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  3. Aircraft parts$64 million · 10.6%
    45 tonnes
  4. Bread, biscuits and pastries$15 million · 2.6%
    4 thousand tonnes
  5. Turbojets and gas turbines$14 million · 2.4%
    8 tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  6. Lamb and goat meat$12 million · 2%
    926 tonnes
  7. Parts for cranes and excavators$10 million · 1.7%
    162 tonnes
  8. Other plastic articles$10 million · 1.7%
    93 tonnes
  9. Women's knitted coats and jackets$8 million · 1.4%
    67 tonnes
  10. Makeup and skin care$8 million · 1.3%
    132 tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Shuaiba to Felixstowe.

The estimated sea route between Shuaiba and Felixstowe is 11,666 nautical miles (21,605 km) long: ≈ 27–34.5 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

Because of the 2024 disruptions, traffic is split: 85% via the Strait of Hormuz, the Cape of Good Hope and the Strait of Dover (11,666 nautical miles); and 15% via the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, the Suez Canal, the Strait of Gibraltar and the Strait of Dover (6,751 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$3.8 billion · 92%
  2. Air$334 million · 8%

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

How much each matters to the other

The United Kingdom was Kuwait’s 8th largest trading partner (4% of its trade), and Kuwait was the United Kingdom’s 42nd (0.4%).

The United Kingdom in Kuwait’s trade
3.9%
The United Kingdom’s rank among Kuwait’s partners
8th
Kuwait in the United Kingdom’s trade
0.4%
Kuwait’s rank among the United Kingdom’s partners
42nd

Compare with

Other partners of Kuwait

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.