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Commons Briefing paper by Dominic Webb and Matthew Ward. It was first published on Friday, 6 January 2017. It was last updated on Friday, 12 June 2026.


Statistics on UK-EU trade

The EU is an important trade partner for the UK: in 2025, UK exports of goods and services to the EU were £384 billion (41% of all UK exports). Imports from the EU were £472 billion (50% of the UK total).

Trade affected by Brexit and other factors

The UK’s trading relationship with the EU changed fundamentally after Brexit. The UK is now outside the EU single market and customs union. There are no tariffs on trade in goods with the EU, provided certain conditions are met. But other barriers to trade are now higher. Brexit has also led to changes in the way data on trade in goods with the EU is collected. There is a structural break in the data from January 2021.

It is important to remember, however, that other factors, such as the covid-19 pandemic, the Ukraine conflict and disruption to global supply chains, have affected UK trade with the EU and other countries.

Little growth in goods exports

The UK’s recent trade performance in services has been much better than that for goods. The UK’s exports of goods to the EU in 2025 were 14% below their 2019 level in real terms. Exports to non-EU countries were 8% lower than  2019.

Services have performed better

UK exports of services to both EU and non-EU countries fell in 2020 but have grown strongly since then. In 2025, UK exports of services to the EU were 28% above their 2019 level in real terms. Exports to non-EU countries were 26% above their 2019 level.

EU share of UK trade

In 2025, the EU accounted for 41% of the UK’s exports (48% of goods exports and 37% of services exports). This share has fluctuated between 41% and 44% since 2015.

The EU accounted for 50% of UK imports in 2025 (53% of goods imports and 45% of services imports). This share has fluctuated between 47% and 53% since 2015.

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Secondary information

Type
Research briefing
Reference
CBP-7851 
Related items
Subjects
EU countries Exports Import duties Imports Balance of payments UK trade with EU
Contains statistics
Yes
Published by
Economic Policy and Statistics Section
House of Commons Library
Link
View this Research briefing on researchbriefings.parliament.uk