Trade and Investment

These are the UK's biggest trading partners

With Brexit deadlines looming, the future of UK export trade is uncertain. Image: Bernd Dittrich/Unsplash

Sean Fleming
Senior Writer, Forum Agenda
  • Last year, nearly half the UK’s exports went to EU countries.
  • The top five export destinations in 2017 were the US, Germany, France, Netherlands and Ireland,
  • China was the sixth most-important export market for the UK in 2017. Japan ranked 16th.

Almost half the UK’s exports went to European Union member states in 2018 – 45%, to be exact, totalling some $372.5 billion. Taken as a whole, the EU dominates the UK’s global trading partnerships, accounting for substantially more than the next-biggest single country the UK trades with.

Have you read?

This may give some indication of where a post-Brexit UK will look to replace any lost EU trade.

The World Bank breaks down UK trade with more than 200 countries, from $719,000 worth of exports to Anguilla in the Eastern Caribbean, to many billions of dollars exchanged with economic powerhouses like the US, Germany and China. (The most recent data available is from 2017.)

You can view a full, interactive version of this graphic here.

The UK’s global trading partners
In 2017, the United States was Britain's biggest export destination, receiving 13.4% of total products. Image: World Bank

The UK’s top five export destinations in 2017 were the US, Germany, France, Netherlands and Ireland, says the World Bank.

1. United States

The United States was the UK's #1 export destination, receiving 13.39% of the UK’s exports with a total value of $59.18 billion. The two countries maintain a special relationship, as Winston Churchill once described it, though there's no indication yet of what kind of trade deal the two will sign after Brexit.

2. Germany

Germany may have experienced a slowdown this year, but it remains the fourth-largest global economy and the largest economy in Europe. The UK sent 10.56% of its total exports to Germany in 2017, valued at $46.69 billion.

3. France

France is experiencing an increase in industrial output and job creation, which may be the result of labour market reforms instigated by President Emmanuel Macron. It receives 6.88% of UK exports, totalling $30.4 billion.

Discover

What is the World Economic Forum doing about digital trade?

4. The Netherlands

The Netherlands takes 6.24% of UK exports, or around $27.57 billion. According to the UK government, much of those exports are mineral fuels, oils and distillation products, pharmaceuticals, nuclear reactors and boilers.

5. Ireland

The Republic of Ireland, the UK’s closest neighbour – and the only EU member state with which it shares a land border – ranks fifth. The UK sends 5.68% of its exports to Ireland, valued at $25.1 billion.

Loading...

China is only the sixth most-important export market (4.84%) for the UK, based on 2017 data. Japan is 16th (1.67%), India is 23rd (1.19%) and Australia is 21st (1.3%).

Don't miss any update on this topic

Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.

Sign up for free

License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

Stay up to date:

United Kingdom

Share:
The Big Picture
Explore and monitor how United Kingdom is affecting economies, industries and global issues
A hand holding a looking glass by a lake
Crowdsource Innovation
Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale
World Economic Forum logo
Global Agenda

The Agenda Weekly

A weekly update of the most important issues driving the global agenda

Subscribe today

You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails. For more details, review our privacy policy.

How innovative finance is building nature-based urban resilience in Africa

Marie Lam-Frendo and Cyril Xaba

December 2, 2024

4 investable pathways to help protect, manage and restore nature in Brazil

About us

Engage with us

  • Sign in
  • Partner with us
  • Become a member
  • Sign up for our press releases
  • Subscribe to our newsletters
  • Contact us

Quick links

Language editions

Privacy Policy & Terms of Service

Sitemap

© 2024 World Economic Forum