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Trade between the United Kingdom and the United States

In 2024, the United Kingdom exported $64.3 billion to the United States and imported $67 billion. The United Kingdom ran a deficit of $2.7 billion with the United States, compared with a surplus of $8.8 billion in 2019. The United States was the United Kingdom’s largest trading partner (12% of its trade), and the United Kingdom was the United States’ 9th (3%).

Summary

United Kingdom → United States
$64.3billion
United States → United Kingdom
$67billion
The United Kingdom’s balance
-$2.7billion

Balance

The United Kingdom’s trade balance with the United States

Trade between the United Kingdom and the United States grew 2.3-fold since 1995

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

  • Exports 64.3
  • Imports 67
  • Balance -2.7

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$26.5 billion$31.4 billion-$4.9 billion
1996$28 billion$36.1 billion-$8.1 billion
1997$32.1 billion$41 billion-$8.8 billion
1998$33.6 billion$43.7 billion-$10.1 billion
1999$37.2 billion$42.2 billion-$5 billion
2000$40.7 billion$45.2 billion-$4.6 billion
2001$38.5 billion$43.6 billion-$5.1 billion
2002$38.8 billion$36.1 billion$2.7 billion
2003$41.6 billion$37.5 billion$4.1 billion
2004$45.6 billion$36.8 billion$8.8 billion
2005$50 billion$37.3 billion$12.7 billion
2006$51.5 billion$44.1 billion$7.4 billion
2007$55.3 billion$47.2 billion$8.2 billion
2008$57.3 billion$50 billion$7.3 billion
2009$45.4 billion$35.3 billion$10 billion
2010$49.2 billion$39.9 billion$9.3 billion
2011$50.1 billion$45.1 billion$5.1 billion
2012$52.7 billion$43.3 billion$9.5 billion
2013$49.8 billion$40.1 billion$9.7 billion
2014$51.7 billion$52.2 billion-$441 million
2015$54.6 billion$52.9 billion$1.7 billion
2016$51.9 billion$51 billion$938 million
2017$49.5 billion$47.7 billion$1.8 billion
2018$57.1 billion$50.9 billion$6.2 billion
2019$58.4 billion$49.6 billion$8.8 billion
2020$47.7 billion$45.7 billion$2 billion
2021$53.2 billion$59.2 billion-$6 billion
2022$58.4 billion$87.2 billion-$28.7 billion
2023$60 billion$78.3 billion-$18.3 billion
2024$64.3 billion$67 billion-$2.7 billion

What they sell each other

What the United Kingdom sells to the United States

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

  1. Cars$9.8 billion · 15.3%
    387 thousand tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  2. Turbojets and gas turbines$4 billion · 6.2%
    3 thousand tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  3. Vaccines, blood and antisera$3.6 billion · 5.6%
    1 thousand tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  4. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$3.3 billion · 5.1%
    6 thousand tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  5. Aircraft parts$2.4 billion · 3.8%
    4 thousand tonnes
  6. Spirits$1.8 billion · 2.9%
    127 thousand tonnes
  7. Refined petroleum$1.8 billion · 2.8%
    2.1 million tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  8. Crude petroleum$1.5 billion · 2.4%
    2.9 million tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  9. Forklifts and works trucks$1.2 billion · 1.9%
    171 thousand tonnes
  10. Radioactive elements$1.1 billion · 1.7%
    472 tonnes

What the United States sells to the United Kingdom

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

  1. Crude petroleum$10.6 billion · 15.8%
    16.9 million tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  2. Refined petroleum$4.6 billion · 6.9%
    5.5 million tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  3. Airplanes and helicopters$3 billion · 4.5%
    3 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  4. Natural gas and LPG$3 billion · 4.5%
    3.2 million tonnes
  5. Aircraft parts$2.7 billion · 4%
    4 thousand tonnes
  6. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$2.5 billion · 3.8%
    4 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  7. Vaccines, blood and antisera$1.7 billion · 2.5%
    2 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  8. Firewood and wood chips$1.6 billion · 2.4%
    7 million tonnes
  9. Cars$998 million · 1.5%
    50 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  10. Other plastic articles$997 million · 1.5%
    12 thousand tonnes

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Felixstowe to Los Angeles.

The estimated sea route between Felixstowe and Los Angeles is 7,950 nautical miles (14,723 km) long: ≈ 18.5–23.5 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

Passages it crosses: Strait of Dover and Panama Canal.

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$63.2 billion · 48.2%
  2. Air$68 billion · 51.8%

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

How much each matters to the other

The United States was the United Kingdom’s largest trading partner (12% of its trade), and the United Kingdom was the United States’ 9th (3%).

The United States in the United Kingdom’s trade
11.7%
The United States’ rank among the United Kingdom’s partners
1st
The United Kingdom in the United States’ trade
2.6%
The United Kingdom’s rank among the United States’ partners
9th

Compare with

Other partners of the United Kingdom

Other partners of the United States

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.