Department for International Trade
Analysis – Statistics Brief
Trade and investment between the United Kingdom andUnited States of America{data reported by the UK}
GLOBAL STANDING
2016 (latest available rankings)
| Trading partner | Export market | Import market |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd largest10.7% of total UK trade | Largest14.2% of all UK exports | 3rd largest8.1% of all UK imports |
TRADE IN GOODS
The following figures are from the ONS and are on a Balance of Payments (‘change of ownership’) basis
The UK reported a trade in goods surplus with United States of America of £19.3bn, compared to a trade in goods surplus of £21.6bn in 2016.
| Total trade in goods between the UK and United States of America | UK exports of goodsto United States of America | UK imports of goodsfrom United States of America |
|---|---|---|
| £175.0bn( 4.1% increase from 2016 ) | £97.1bn( 2.4% increase from 2016 ) | £77.8bn( 6.2% increase from 2016 ) |
The following figures, on trade in goods only, are from HMRC. They are on a different (i.e. ‘physical movement’) basis than the ONS (‘Balance of Payments’) data which are based on the ‘change of ownership’ criterion. They are not directly comparable with the figures above.
The top 5 UK goods exported to United States of America in 2017 were:
| % of all UK goods exported to United States of America | classification |
|---|---|
| 16.0% | vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories thereof |
| 15.8% | nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof |
| 14.7% | pharmaceutical products |
| 6.7% | aircraft, spacecraft, and parts thereof |
| 6.6% | works of art, collectors' pieces and antiques |
The top 5 UK goods imported from United States of America in 2017 were:
| % of all UK goods imported from United States of America | classification |
|---|---|
| 22.4% | nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof |
| 17.4% | aircraft, spacecraft, and parts thereof |
| 10.7% | natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones, precious metals, metals clad with precious metal, and articles thereof; imitation jewellery; coin |
| 8.6% | electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles |
| 5.7% | optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof |