UK overseas trade in goods statistics January 2025: commentary
Published 14 March 2025
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Trade in goods summary
Data behind this bulletin is available through the UK Trade Info website, where users can build their own tables according to the countries, commodities, and ports selected.
For more information on how we compile the trade in goods statistics, users must refer to the accompanying methodology notes. Further information about trade in non-monetary gold (NMG) can be found in the monthly gold table.
Total exports of goods for January 2025
£43.1 billion up £6.6 billion, or 18%, on December 2024, up £8.1 billion, or 23%, on January 2024
Total imports of goods for January 2025
£50.6 billion down £1.1 billion, or 2%, on December 2024, up £0.5 billion, or 1%, on January 2024
Source: UK overseas trade in goods statistics from HM Revenue & Customs
Note: 2024 and 2025 data is provisional
The UK was a net importer this month, with imports exceeding exports by £7.5 billion, narrowing the trade gap by £7.7 billion compared with December 2024.
Figure 1: Total UK monthly trade in goods, August 2023 to January 2025
Figure 1 shows total exports, imports and the trade gap for the period from August 2023 to January 2025.
Source: UK overseas trade in goods statistics from HM Revenue & Customs
Download figure 1: Total UK monthly trade in goods (ODS 11.8 KB)
Note: 2024 and 2025 data is provisional
In January 2025, exports rose by £6.6 billion, driven largely by an increase in exports of non-monetary gold (NMG). Imports fell by £1.1 billion and were impacted by a decrease in imports of NMG. Together, these changes led to a narrowing of the trade gap in January 2025.
Impact of non-monetary gold (NMG)
Movements in NMG can be large and highly volatile, impacting underlying trends in trade figures. More information can be found in the accompanying methodology notes.
Figure 2: Total UK monthly trade in goods including and excluding NMG, August 2023 to January 2025
Figure 2 shows exports and imports including and excluding non-monetary gold.
Source: UK overseas trade in goods statistics from HM Revenue & Customs
Download figure 2: Total UK monthly trade in goods including and excluding NMG (ODS 13.1 KB)
Note: 2024 and 2025 data is provisional
In January 2025, exports of NMG increased by £6.6 billion compared with December 2024. Exports excluding NMG decreased by less than 1% over the same period. Imports of NMG decreased by £1.9 billion in January 2025 compared with December 2024. Even though total imports decreased, imports excluding NMG increased by £786 million over the same period.
EU and non-EU trade in goods
Exports to the EU accounted for 32% of the total value of exports, or 48% when excluding NMG.
Imports from the EU accounted for 47% of the total value of imports, or 49% when excluding NMG.
Table 1: Total UK trade in goods with EU and non-EU, including impact of NMG, January 2025 (£ billion)
| Flow | EU | EU excl NMG | Non-EU | Non-EU excl NMG | Total | Total excl NMG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exports | 13.7 | 13.3 | 29.4 | 14.6 | 43.1 | 27.8 |
| Imports | 23.5 | 22.9 | 27.1 | 23.4 | 50.6 | 46.2 |
Source: UK overseas trade in goods statistics from HM Revenue & Customs
Download table 1: Total UK trade in goods with EU and non-EU (ODS 10.4 KB)
Note: 2024 and 2025 data is provisional
EU exports for January 2025 were £13.7 billion. This was an increase of £0.7 billion (5%) on December 2024, but a decrease of £1 billion (7%) compared with January 2024.
Non-EU exports for January 2025 were £29.4 billion. This was an increase of £5.9 billion (25%) on December 2024, and an increase of £9.1 billion (45%) compared with January 2024.
EU imports for January 2025 were £23.5 billion. This was a decrease of £0.7 billion (3%) on December 2024, and a decrease of £2.1 billion (8%) compared with January 2024.
Non-EU imports for January 2025 were £27.1 billion. This was a decrease of £0.5 billion (2%) on December 2024, but an increase of £2.5 billion (10%) compared with January 2024.
Figure 3: Total UK monthly trade in goods with EU and non-EU, August 2023 to January 2025
Figure 3 shows total exports and imports for EU and non-EU trade for the period from July 2023 to December 2024.
Source: UK overseas trade in goods statistics from HM Revenue & Customs
Download figure 3: Total UK monthly trade in goods with EU and non-EU (ODS 12.3 KB)
Note: 2024 and 2025 data is provisional
EU exports rose in January 2025, while non-EU exports had a much greater increase due to an increase in non-EU exports of NMG. Both EU and non-EU imports fell slightly compared with December 2024.
Exports: Country analysis
You can explore more UK export country data in the interactive data tables.
USA had the largest value increase in exports on December 2024, up 83%, and the largest value increase in exports on January 2024, up to nearly 3 times the value.
Table 2: UK exports of goods to the top 5 countries, value comparison with December 2024 and January 2024 (£ million)
| Partner country | January 2025 | December 2024 | January 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 11,345 | 6,194 | 4,055 |
| Switzerland | 7,877 | 3,973 | 5,096 |
| Germany | 2,702 | 2,284 | 2,558 |
| Netherlands | 2,276 | 1,975 | 2,194 |
| Ireland | 1,733 | 1,721 | 2,051 |
Source: UK overseas trade in goods statistics from HM Revenue & Customs
Download table 2: UK exports of goods to the top 5 countries, total value (ODS 10.6 KB)
Note: 2024 and 2025 data is provisional
The USA remained the largest export partner country by value. It had the largest value increase on December 2024, up £5.2 billion. It also had the largest value increase on January 2024, up by £7.3 billion. Both increases were dominated by an increase in Precious metals. Switzerland was the second largest export partner, with the second largest increase on December 2024, up £3.9 billion. It also had the second largest value increase on January 2024, up £2.8 billion. Both increases were dominated by an increase in Precious metals. Germany rose to third place from fourth. It increased in value on December 2024, up £418 million. This was led by an increase in Precious metals and Pharmaceutical products.
Figure 4: Historical export values for the top 3 export partner countries in January 2025
Figure 4 shows the values for the top 3 export partner countries for the period from August 2023 to January 2025.
Source: UK overseas trade in goods statistics from HM Revenue & Customs
Download figure 4: Historical export values for the top 3 export partner countries (ODS 11.7 KB)
Note: 2024 and 2025 data is provisional
The USA accounted for 26% of the UK’s total exports. This is up from 17% in December 2024. Exports to the USA were up 83% on December 2024, to reach the highest value over the period shown. Switzerland became the second largest export partner, accounting for 18% of total exports in January 2025, compared to 11% in December 2024. Exports to Switzerland increased by 98% on December 2024. Germany became the third largest export partner, accounting for 6% of total exports. It increased in value by 18% on December 2024.
Exports: Chapter analysis
You can explore more UK export chapter data in the interactive data tables.
Precious metals had the largest value increase in exports on December 2024, up 82%, and the largest value increase in exports on January 2024, up to more than double the value.
Table 3: UK exports of goods of the top 5 chapters, value comparison with December 2024 and January 2024 (£ million)
| Chapter | January 2025 | December 2024 | January 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precious metals | 18,167 | 9,967 | 8,219 |
| Mechanical appliances | 4,913 | 5,029 | 5,391 |
| Motor vehicles | 2,628 | 3,060 | 3,116 |
| Mineral fuels | 2,071 | 1,937 | 2,611 |
| Pharmaceutical products | 1,839 | 1,663 | 1,885 |
Source: UK overseas trade in goods statistics from HM Revenue & Customs
Download table 3: UK exports of goods of the top 5 chapters, total value (ODS 10.3 KB)
Note: 2024 and 2025 data is provisional
Precious metals remained the top export chapter in January 2025. It had the largest value increase on December 2024, up £8.2 billion. It also had the largest value increase on January 2024, up £9.9 billion. This was led by the USA and Switzerland for both periods. Exports of Mechanical appliances remained in second place but had the third largest value decrease on January 2024, down £477 million. This was led by the USA. Motor vehicles remained in third place, but had the largest value decrease on December 2024, down £432 million. It also had the second largest value decrease on January 2024, down £488 million.
Figure 5: Historical export values for the top 3 export chapters in January 2025
Figure 5 shows the values for the top 3 export chapters for the period from August 2023 to January 2025.
Source: UK overseas trade in goods statistics from HM Revenue & Customs
Download figure 5: Historical export values for the top 3 export chapters (ODS 11.9 KB)
Note: 2024 and 2025 data is provisional
Precious metals remained the top export chapter in January 2025 accounting for 42% of the UK’s total exports. This is up from 27% in December 2024. Exports of Precious metals increased by 82% on December 2024, to reach the highest value over the period shown. Exports of Mechanical appliances fell in January 2025, down 2% on December 2024. They accounted for 11% of the UK’s total exports in January 2025, down from 14% in December 2024. Motor vehicles remained the third largest export chapter this month. They accounted for 6% of the UK’s total exports, down from 8% in December 2024.
Imports: Country analysis
You can explore more UK import country data in the interactive data tables.
Uzbekistan had the largest value decrease on December 2024, down from £687m, more than 99%.
Norway had the largest value increase on January 2024, up 44%.
Table 4: UK imports of goods from the top 5 countries, value comparison with December 2024 and January 2024 (£ million)
| Partner country | January 2025 | December 2024 | January 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 5,472 | 6,116 | 5,789 |
| Germany | 5,163 | 5,509 | 6,255 |
| China | 5,150 | 4,653 | 4,699 |
| Netherlands | 3,693 | 3,398 | 3,877 |
| Norway | 2,971 | 2,520 | 2,067 |
Source: UK overseas trade in goods statistics from HM Revenue & Customs
Download table 4: UK imports of goods from the top 5 countries, total value (ODS 10.4 KB)
Note: 2024 and 2025 data is provisional
The top 4 largest import partner countries by value retained the same order as December 2024. Imports from the USA decreased by £644 million on December 2024. This was led by decreased imports of Precious metals and Mineral fuels. Germany had the fifth largest value decrease on December 2024, down £346 million. This was led by Precious metals and Aircraft. China had the second largest value increase on December 2024, up £497 million. This was led by increased imports of Electronic equipment and Precious metals. China also had the third largest value increase on January 2024, up £451 million. This was led by Aircraft.
Figure 6: Historical import values for the top 3 import partner countries in January 2025
Figure 6 shows the values for the top 3 import partner countries in January 2025 for the period from August 2023 to January 2025.
Source: UK overseas trade in goods statistics from HM Revenue & Customs
Download figure 6: Historical import values for the top 3 import partner countries (ODS 11.7 KB)
Note: 2024 and 2025 data is provisional
The USA remained the UK’s top import partner for the second consecutive month, after 14 consecutive months of Germany being the largest import partner. This is despite an 11% decrease in imports from the USA compared with December 2024. The USA accounted for 11% of the UK’s total imports in January 2025, down from 12% in December 2024. Germany remained the UK’s second ranked import partner, accounting for 10% of the UK’s total imports in January 2025. Imports from Germany decreased by 6% on December 2024 to the lowest level over the period shown. China remained the UK’s third ranked import partner, accounting for 10% of the UK’s total imports in January 2025. Imports from China increased by 11% on December 2024.
Imports: Chapter analysis
You can explore more UK import chapter data in the interactive data tables.
Precious metals had the largest value decrease on December 2024, down 25%, and the largest value increase on January 2024, up 28%.
Table 5: UK imports of goods of the top 5 chapters, value comparison with December 2024 and January 2024 (£ million)
| Chapter | January 2025 | December 2024 | January 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mineral fuels | 6,433 | 6,024 | 6,132 |
| Mechanical appliances | 5,809 | 5,666 | 5,946 |
| Precious metals | 5,403 | 7,221 | 4,220 |
| Motor vehicles | 4,819 | 4,940 | 5,549 |
| Electronic equipment | 4,529 | 4,410 | 4,705 |
Source: UK overseas trade in goods statistics from HM Revenue & Customs
Download table 5: UK imports of goods of the top 5 chapters, total value (ODS 10.3 KB)
Note: 2024 and 2025 data is provisional
Mineral fuels replaced Precious metals to become the top import chapter in January 2025. Mineral fuels had the largest value increase on December 2024 and the second largest value increase on January 2024, up £409 million and £301 million respectively. Both were led by increased imports from Norway. Mechanical appliances became the UK’s second largest import chapter in January 2025. Mechanical appliances had the fourth largest value increase on December 2024, up £144 million, led by the USA. In contrast, it had the fourth largest value decrease on January 2024, down £137 million, led by France. Precious metals dropped to third place from first. It had the largest value decrease on December 2024, down, £1.8 billion, led by Uzbekistan, the USA and Germany. In contrast, Precious metals had the largest value increase on January 2024, up £1.2 billion. This was led by Switzerland, the USA, and France.
Figure 7: Historical import values for the top 3 import chapters in January 2025
Figure 7 shows the values for the top 3 import chapters in January 2025 for the period from August 2023 to January 2025.
Source: UK overseas trade in goods statistics from HM Revenue & Customs
Download figure 7: Historical import values for the top 3 import chapters (ODS 11.9 KB)
Note: Note: 2024 and 2025 data is provisional
In January 2025, Mineral fuels became the UK’s largest import chapter and accounted for 13% of the UK’s total imports, up from 12% in December 2024. The value of imports of Mineral fuels increased by 7% on December 2024 to the highest value since November 2023. Imports of Mechanical appliances rose to second place, accounting for 11% of total imports. Mechanical appliances imports increased by 3% on December 2024. Imports of Precious metals decreased for the third consecutive month after a peak in October 2024. In January 2025, imports for Precious metals accounted for 11% of the UK’s total imports, down from 14% in December 2024. The value of imports of Precious metals decreased by 25% on December 2024, to the lowest level since May 2024.
Focus
Table 6: Exports of Precious metals, value comparison with December 2024
| Export partner | January 2025 (£m) | December 2024 (£m) | Change (£m) | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | 7,605 | 1,719 | 5,885 | 342 |
| Switzerland | 7,612 | 3,718 | 3,894 | 105 |
| China | 26 | 3,052 | -3,026 | -99 |
Source: UK overseas trade in goods statistics from HM Revenue & Customs
Download table 6: January 2025 Precious metals export data (ODS 10.2 KB)
Note: 2024 and 2025 data is provisional
Exports of Precious metals had the largest value increase of all chapters on December 2024. This was an increase of £8.2 billion, or 82%. Between December 2024 and January 2025, exports of Precious metals to the USA rose by £5.9 billion, to 4.5 times the value. Exports of Precious metals to Switzerland rose by £3.9 billion, to double the value, over the same period. In contrast, exports of Precious metals to China fell by £3 billion, 99%, over the same period.
Table 7: Imports of Precious metals, value comparison with December 2024
| Import partner | January 2025 (£m) | December 2024 (£m) | Change (£m) | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uzbekistan | 0 | 686 | -686 | -100 |
| USA | 1,160 | 1,766 | -606 | -34 |
| Germany | 110 | 615 | -505 | -82 |
| Switzerland | 913 | 340 | 573 | 169 |
Source: UK overseas trade in goods statistics from HM Revenue & Customs
Download table 7: January 2025 Precious metals import data (ODS 10 KB)
Note: 2024 and 2025 data is provisional
Imports of Precious metals had the largest value decrease of all chapters on December 2024. This was a decrease of £1,818 million, or 25%. Between December 2024 and January 2025, imports of Precious metals to Uzbekistan fell by £686 million, or 100%. Imports of Precious metals to the USA fell by £606 million, or 34%, over the same period. Imports of Precious metals to Germany fell by £505 million, or 82%, over the same period. In contrast, imports of Precious metals to Switzerland rose by £573 million, to more than 2.5 times the value, over the same period.