Is the UK selling more abroad than it buys?

Exports minus imports, excluding precious metals

−£3.9bn

July 2026

Down from −£3.6bn in June 2026

Where this sits in the last 10 years
10-year low −£8.1bn10-year high £5.4bn
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Recent figures may be revised.

Trade balance

Selected pointJuly 2026 · −£3.9bn, down £2.8bn on a year earlier

Usual range (middle 80% of the last 10 years)

Each year adds up the months. 2026 so far covers January to July.

Each line is the running total from January. 2026 so far covers January to July.

Source: Office for National Statistics

What this means for people

A negative figure means the UK bought more from abroad than it sold that month.

Goods and services are both included. Precious metals are left out because they can dominate a single month.

Latest figures

See the figures as a table
The latest 12 readings, newest first.
PeriodValue
July 2026−£3.9bn
June 2026−£3.6bn
May 2026−£1.6bn
April 2026−£2.9bn
March 2026−£4.2bn
February 2026−£3.1bn
January 2026−£352m
December 2025−£1.2bn
November 2025−£399m
October 2025−£930m
September 2025−£2.7bn
August 2025−£2.1bn
Each year adds up the months.
YearPeriod coveredValue
2026 so farJanuary to July−£19.6bn
2025January to December−£18.3bn
2024January to December−£16.8bn
2023January to December−£47.2bn
2022January to December−£50.1bn
2021January to December£6.5bn
2020January to December£14.4bn
2019January to December−£25bn
2018January to December−£23.6bn
2017January to December−£25bn
2016January to December−£33.3bn
Each month
Each line is the running total from January.
Period2023202420252026 so far
January−£4bn−£3bn−£149m−£352m
February−£7.2bn−£5.5bn−£2.9bn−£3.5bn
March−£10.3bn−£7.4bn−£4.2bn−£7.7bn
April−£12.4bn−£10.4bn−£6.4bn−£10.5bn
May−£19bn−£10.8bn−£7.8bn−£12.1bn
June−£23.5bn−£12.4bn−£9.8bn−£15.7bn
July−£26.3bn−£15.3bn−£11bn−£19.6bn
August−£29.9bn−£14.4bn−£13.1bn
September−£32bn−£12.8bn−£15.8bn
October−£38.8bn−£15.8bn−£16.7bn
November−£44bn−£18.1bn−£17.1bn
December−£47.2bn−£16.8bn−£18.3bn

CSVJSON

How to read this

A minus is a deficit

A negative figure means imports were larger than exports. A positive figure means exports were larger.

Precious metals are left out

Gold and other precious metals can swing the total by billions from one month to the next. Leaving them out makes the underlying trade easier to see.

Single months swing

Single months swing. Look at the trend over several months.

Pounds at the time

Amounts are in pounds at the time, so they include price changes as well as changes in how much was traded.

Source

Publisher
Office for National Statistics
Official title
Total trade balance excluding precious metals, balance of payments basis, current prices, seasonally adjusted
Series
FSID
Geography
United Kingdom
Status
Accredited official statistics
Cite this

Office for National Statistics (2026) Total trade balance excluding precious metals, balance of payments basis, current prices, seasonally adjusted, July 2026 (series FSID).