UK trade: April 2026

• The value of goods imports increased by £0.8 billion (1.5%) in April 2026; a rise in imports from the EU was partially offset by a fall in imports from non-EU countries.

• The value of goods exports rose by £0.8 billion (2.6%) in April 2026, with increases in exports to both EU and non-EU countries.

• The total goods and services trade deficit widened by £7.7 billion to £9.9 billion in the three months to April 2026, compared with the three months to January 2026.

• The trade in goods deficit widened by £7.6 billion to £62.5 billion in the three months to April 2026, while the trade in services surplus is estimated to have narrowed by £0.2 billion to £52.6 billion.

Total imports of goods in "current prices", which are not adjusted for inflation (as explained in Section 10: Glossary), increased by £0.8 billion (1.5%) in April 2026, when compared with March 2026. This increase was because of a £1.1 billion (4.0%) rise in imports from the EU, which was partially offset by a £0.3 billion (1.2%) fall in imports from non-EU countries (Table 1 and Figure 1).

Total exports of goods increased by £0.8 billion (2.6%) in April 2026, because of £0.4 billion (2.6%) rises in exports to both EU and non-EU countries.

Imports from the EU were £3.9 billion higher than from non-EU countries in April 2026, while exports to the EU were similar in value to exports to non-EU countries.

Figure 1: Imports from and exports to the EU increased in April 2026

EU and non-EU goods imports and exports, excluding precious metals, current prices, seasonally adjusted, April 2023 to April 2026

After removing the effect of inflation by calculating "chained volume measures" (as explained in Section 10: Glossary), total goods imports decreased by £0.2 billion (0.3%) in April 2026 (Figure 2). This was because of a £0.6 billion (2.4%) fall in imports from non-EU countries, partially offset by a £0.5 billion (1.7%) rise in imports from the EU.

The difference between imports of goods from the EU, in value and inflation adjusted terms, is linked to rising fuel prices. While the value of imports from and exports to the EU increased in April 2026, when the effect of inflation has been removed, there is a much smaller increase.

Total goods exports increased by £0.4 billion (1.3%) in April 2026, after the effect of inflation was removed. This was because exports to non-EU countries rose by £0.3 billion (1.7%), and exports to the EU also rose by £0.2 billion (1.0%).

Figure 2: Imports from and exports to the EU rose in both value and inflation adjusted terms in April 2026

Imports and exports of goods, excluding precious metals, current prices and chained volume measures, seasonally adjusted, EU and non-EU, April 2023 to April 2026

Silver, platinum, and palladium bullion are components of precious metals and form part of the "material manufactures" commodity group. Trade in precious metals can be large and highly volatile, distorting underlying trends in trade in goods. We have added a "Material manufactures, excluding precious metals" series to our UK trade: goods and services publication tables and have used this series for the analysis in this section.

More detail on the allocation of precious metals is provided in Section 11: Data sources and quality.

Goods imports

Imports from the EU increased by £1.1 billion (4.0%) in April 2026, when compared with March 2026. This was mainly because of a £0.6 billion rise in fuel imports. There was also a £0.3 billion increase in imports of machinery and transport equipment and a £0.2 billion rise in chemical imports (Figure 3).

The rise in fuel imports was mainly because of higher imports of refined oil from the Netherlands, while the increase in imports of machinery and transport equipment was linked to higher imports of office machinery (capital) from Ireland and Czechia. The rise in chemical imports was linked to higher imports of both other chemicals and inorganic chemicals from the Netherlands.

Imports from non-EU countries fell by £0.3 billion (1.2%) in April 2026. The fall was because of a £0.2 billion fall in fuel imports and smaller falls across other commodities. The fall in fuel imports was because of lower imports of gas from Norway and the United States and refined oil from Kuwait, Nigeria, and the United Arab Emirates, which may be a consequence of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Figure 3: Fuel imports from the EU rose in April 2026

Changes in EU and non-EU goods imports by commodity group, excluding unspecified goods, current prices, seasonally adjusted, April 2026 compared with March 2026

Notes:

1. Material manufactures presented in this chart exclude silver, platinum, and palladium bullion bars as these are components of precious metals. Trade in precious metals can be large and highly volatile, distorting underlying trends in trade in goods.

2. The monthly commodity changes may not sum to the total trade in the goods monthly change because of rounding.

Goods exports

Exports to the EU increased by £0.4 billion (2.6%) in April 2026, when compared with March 2026. This was mainly because of a £0.4 billion rise in exports of machinery and transport equipment linked to higher exports of both mechanical power generators (intermediate) and aircraft to Germany (Figure 4).

Exports to non-EU countries also increased by £0.4 billion (2.6%) in April 2026. This increase was mainly because of a £0.5 billion rise in exports of machinery and transport equipment, partially offset by a £0.2 billion fall in chemical exports. The rise in exports of machinery and transport equipment was linked to higher exports of mechanical power generators (intermediate) to the United Arab Emirates. The fall in chemical exports was because of lower exports of medicinal and pharmaceutical products to the United States.

Figure 4: Exports of machinery and transport equipment to both EU and non-EU countries rose in April 2026

Changes in EU and non-EU goods exports by commodity group, excluding unspecified goods, current prices, seasonally adjusted, April 2026 compared with March 2026

Notes:

1. Material manufactures presented in this chart exclude silver, platinum, and palladium bullion bars as these are components of precious metals. Trade in precious metals can be large and highly volatile, distorting underlying trends in trade in goods.

2. The monthly commodity changes may not sum to the total trade in the goods monthly change because of rounding.

Early estimates suggest that imports of services remained unchanged in value terms in April 2026, when compared with March 2026. Exports of services are estimated to have increased by £0.1 billion (0.2%) (Figure 5). There was little difference between trade in services trends in value and inflation-adjusted terms.

Monthly figures for trade in services for April 2026 are forecast from estimated Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar) 2026 data, using time series and additional data sources. Early estimates of trade in services are revised in line with our National Accounts Revisions Policy. More detail on how our trade in services statistics are compiled is in our UK trade quality and methods guide.

There was a slight improvement in business activity across the services sector, as reported by the S&P Global UK Services Purchasing Managers Index for April 2026 (PDF, 130KB). However, growth of services exports was reported to be sluggish, with a variety of reasons being cited including war in the Middle East, supply shortages, and elevated borrowing costs.

Figure 5: Imports of services remained unchanged in both value and inflation-adjusted terms in April 2026

Imports and exports of services, current prices and chained volume measures, seasonally adjusted, April 2023 to April 2026

Notes:

1. Monthly figures for trade in services for April 2026 are forecast using time series and additional data sources. Early estimates of trade in services are revised in line with our National Accounts Revisions Policy.

Total imports of goods increased by £9.3 billion (6.2%) in the three months to April 2026, compared with the three months to January 2026 (Table 2). The increase was because goods imports from non-EU countries rose by £4.9 billion (7.0%) and goods imports from the EU also rose by £4.4 billion (5.5%).

Total exports of goods increased by £1.7 billion (1.8%) in the three months to April 2026. This rise was because goods exports to the EU increased by £2.7 billion (5.9%), partially offset by a £0.9 billion (1.9%) fall in goods exports to non-EU countries.

For trade in services in the three months to April 2026, we forecast International Trade in Services (ITIS) survey figures using time series data. This forecast is combined with additional data sources, to estimate trade in services totals. Early estimates indicate that imports of services increased by around £0.3 billion (0.4%) and exports of services rose by an estimated £0.2 billion (0.1%) in the three months to April 2026, compared with the three months to January 2026.

The total goods and services trade deficit, excluding precious metals, widened by £7.7 billion to £9.9 billion in the three months to April 2026, compared with the three months to January 2026 (Figure 6). Imports rose by £9.6 billion and exports also increased by £1.9 billion over this period. When removing the effect of inflation, the total trade deficit, excluding precious metals, widened by £5.7 billion to £17.2 billion.

The trade in goods deficit in value terms, excluding precious metals, widened by £7.6 billion to £62.5 billion in the three months to April 2026, compared with the three months to January 2026. This is because goods imports increased by more than exports. The trade in services surplus is estimated to have widened slightly by £0.2 billion to £52.6 billion, as imports of services increased more than exports.

Explore the 2025 trade in goods data using our interactive tools. Our data break down UK trade in goods with 236 countries by 122 commodities.

Use our map to get a better understanding of what goods the UK traded with a country. Select a country by hovering over it (desktop only) or use the drop-down menu.

Notes:

1. For more information about our methods and how we compile these statistics, see our Trade in goods, country-by-commodity experimental data: 2011 to 2016 article. Users should note that the data published alongside this release are official statistics and no longer in development.

2. These data are our best estimate of these bilateral UK trade flows. Users should note that alternative estimates are available, in some cases, through the statistical agencies for bilateral countries or through central databases, such as United Nations (UN) Comtrade.

3. This interactive map denotes country boundaries in accordance with statistical classifications set out in Appendix A4 of the Balance of Payments (BoP) Vademecum (PDF, 4.4MB) and do not represent the UK policy on disputed territories.

You can also explore the 2025 trade in goods data by commodity, such as car exports to the EU, and UK tea or coffee imports.

Select a commodity from the drop-down menu or select the levels with your digit or cursor to explore the data.

Notes:

1. For more information about our methods and how we compile these statistics, see our Trade in goods, country-by-commodity experimental data: 2011 to 2016 article. Users should note that the data published alongside this release are official statistics and no longer in development.
2. These data are our best estimate of these bilateral UK trade flows. Users should note that alternative estimates are available, in some cases, through the statistical agencies for bilateral countries or through central databases, such as United Nations (UN) Comtrade.
3. These interactive charts denote country boundaries in accordance with statistical classifications set out within Appendix A4 of the Balance of Payments (BoP) Vademecum (PDF, 4.4MB) and does not represent the UK policy on disputed territories.

In accordance with our National Accounts Revisions Policy, the data in this release have not been revised and only include new data for April 2026.

Chained volume measures

Chained volume measures (CVMs) are a "real" measure in that they have had the effect of inflation removed to measure the change in volume between consecutive periods, fixing the prices of goods and services in one period (known as the base year, which is 2023 for trade).

Current price measures

Current price estimates (CPs) measure the actual price paid for goods or services and are not adjusted for inflation. Unless otherwise stated, all current price data are provided in £ million and are seasonally adjusted.

Inflation

Inflation is the change in the average price level of goods and services over a period of time.

Implied deflators

An implied deflator (IDEF) shows the implied change in average prices for the respective components of the trade balance, for example, the IDEF for imports will show the average price movement for imports.

Precious metals and non-monetary gold

Precious metals include non-monetary gold, silver bullion, platinum bullion and palladium bullion. Non-monetary gold forms the majority of the commodity group "unspecified goods" and is the technical term for gold bullion not owned by central banks. Silver, platinum, and palladium bullion form part of the "material manufactures" commodity group. This change is part of our Methods improvements for Blue Book and Pink Book 2025.

Trade balance

The trade balance is the difference between exports and imports or exports minus imports. When the value of exports is greater than the value of imports, the trade balance is in surplus. When the value of imports is greater than the value of exports, the trade balance is in deficit. The balance is sometimes referred to as "net exports".

A full Glossary of economic terms is available.

The UK leaving the EU and the subsequent transition period, along with the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, supply chain disruption and global recession, have caused higher levels of volatility in trade statistics in recent years. The monthly analysis shows short-term trade movements, but it is important to note that monthly data can be erratic and therefore may not be indicative of longer-term trends.

Data collection changes

Since the UK left the EU on 31 January 2020, the arrangements for how the UK trades with the EU changed.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) implemented some data collection changes following Brexit, which affected statistics on UK trade in goods with the EU. We made adjustments to our estimates of goods imports from the EU in 2021 and 2022 to account for these changes however, a structural break remains in the full time series for goods imports from and exports to the EU from January 2021.

We therefore advise caution when interpreting and drawing conclusions from these statistics. Our Impact of trade in goods data collection changes on UK trade statistics: summary of adjustments and the structural break from 2021 article provides more detail.

Data sources

Data from HMRC make up over 90% of trade in goods value and are the main source for this release. Data from the quarterly International Trade in Services (ITIS) Survey make up over 50% of trade in services data. View our UK trade quality and methods guide for more detail.

Data from the International Passenger Survey (IPS) are the main source for travel services, historically making up around 8% of total imports. The survey has now fully resumed following the suspension in 2020.

Unless otherwise specified, data within this bulletin are in current prices and have not been adjusted to remove the effects of inflation. In line with international standards, our headline trade statistics contain the UK's exports and imports of non-monetary gold. More information can be found in our National Accounts article: A brief explanation of non-monetary gold in national accounts.

Method

Trade is measured through both exports and imports of goods and services. Data are supplied by over 30 sources, including several administrative sources, with HMRC being the largest for trade in goods.

Our UK trade figures are produced using country of dispatch, which records imports as coming from the country dispatching the shipments. However, trade figures can also be produced using country of origin, as is used by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). Users should be aware of the different accounting methods used and the resulting differences across trade figures.

Monthly trade in services data are taken from quarterly trade in services data and are split across the months within that quarter through estimation. In months where we have a full quarter's data, we revise previous estimates of monthly values within that quarter.

View more detailed information about the methods used to produce UK trade statistics in our UK trade quality and methods guide.

Allocation of precious metals

Our headline trade statistics contain the UK's exports and imports of non-monetary gold, in line with international standards. More information can be found in our National Accounts article: A brief explanation of non-monetary gold in national accounts.

As part of our Blue Book and Pink Book 2025: UK trade impact estimates article, we implemented improvements to the way we record trade in precious metals in this release. We removed the double counting of some precious metals bars and included previously under-recorded non-monetary gold that is not in bar form.

Precious metals include non-monetary gold, silver bullion, platinum bullion, and palladium bullion. Non-monetary gold forms the majority of the commodity group "unspecified goods" and is the technical term for gold bullion not owned by central banks. Silver, platinum, and palladium bullion form part of the "material manufactures" commodity group.

We are continuing to review our methodology for the allocation of precious metals, to ensure that we capture all trade of non-ferrous metals where these commodities are traded as a financial asset.

Strengths and limitations

National Statistics designation status

The UK Statistics Authority suspended the National Statistics designation of UK trade (PDF, 72.9KB) on 14 November 2014. We responded to all of the specific requirements of the Office for Statistics Regulation's (OSR's) reassessment of UK trade. As part of our engagement with the OSR team, we are sharing our continuous improvement and development plans to support UK trade statistics regaining accredited official statistics status. We welcome feedback on our new trade statistics, developments, and future plans by email to trade@ons.gov.uk.

Trade asymmetries

Asymmetries can be caused by a range of conceptual and measurement variations between the estimation practices of different countries. Statistical agencies are likely to have different source data, estimation methods, and methodological, geographical, and definitional differences. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) publishes more information on UK trade asymmetries. We publish analysis on trade in services asymmetries in our Asymmetries in trade data articles.

More quality and methodology information on strengths, limitations, appropriate uses, and how the data were created is available in our UK trade quality and methods guide.