Historical trend
Trend summary
Trade balance was -£1.0bn in 2026-05, up from -£7.0bn in 2026-04.
Trend
- Over the available record (1997-01–2026-05), it has ranged from -£11bn in 2022-01 to £9.5bn in 2020-05.
- The latest reading is above the record average of -£1.8bn.
Context
- ONS trade statistics are subject to large revisions, particularly for services.
- UK trade data excludes trade in non-monetary gold and other non-monetary assets.
Generated from the published series — describes direction, magnitude and range only, with no editorial judgement or forecasts.