The United Kingdom’s goods exports rose 4.5 per cent and imports increased 0.8 per cent in May 2026.
The UK’s total goods and services trade deficit widened by £4.4 billion (~$5.94 billion) to £9.1 billion (~$12.29 billion) in the three months to May, as the goods trade deficit expanded.
While imports increased mainly because of higher purchases from non-EU markets.
Goods imports increased by £0.5 billion in May. The rise was led by a £0.8 billion (3.2 per cent) increase in imports from non-EU countries, which was partly offset by a £0.4 billion (1.2 per cent) decline in imports from the EU. Even so, imports from the EU exceeded those from non-EU countries by £2.8 billion during the month.
Despite the improvement in exports, the United Kingdom’s overall trade balance weakened over the three months to May. The total goods and services trade deficit widened by £4.4 billion (~$5.94 billion) to £9.1 billion ($12.29 billion) compared with the three months to February 2026.
The trade in goods deficit expanded by £3.1 billion to £60.9 billion over the three-month period, while the surplus in trade in services narrowed by £1.3 billion to an estimated £51.8 billion.
The ONS also noted that imports from and exports to non-EU countries increased in both current price and inflation-adjusted terms during May, reflecting stronger trade flows outside the European Union.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk
