What is the value of US trade with the United Kingdom?
Updates published annually
$162.2 billion in imports and $179.5 billion in exports in 2024. That means that the US exported $17.3 billion more to the United Kingdom than we imported from it. Benefits of trade can include higher wages and job growth, a wider variety of products available at lower prices, increased productivity, and more efficient resource allocation.
$162B
Value of imports from the United Kingdom to the US (2024)
$179B
Value of exports from the US to the United Kingdom (2024)
Exports are goods and services the US sells to other countries. Imports are goods and services the US buys from other countries. Combining the value of imports and exports shows us how much trade happens between the US and other countries.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) provides data for 71 of the US' trading partners (though not necessarily the top 71 trading partners). The partners they track accounted for 94.3% of total trade with the US in 2024.
BEA data ranks the United Kingdom as the US’ 4th top trading partner: In 2024, the US traded $341.7 billion in goods and services with the United Kingdom. Countries with similar trade values include China ($660.7B) and Germany ($329.6B).
In 2024, the US traded $341.7 billion in goods and services with the United Kingdom.
Total trade value (imports + exports) with the US (2024), by select countries
Another way to look at international trade is through trade balance. A nation that imports more than it exports, has a trade deficit. One that exports more than it imports has a trade surplus. Neither is inherently good or bad; trade balance is just a metric that shows the relationship between imports and exports.
The US has had a trade surplus with the United Kingdom every year from 2006 through 2024. The 2024 surplus was $17.31 billion, an increase from 2023's surplus of $16.84 billion.
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The trade surplus with the United Kingdom increased to $17.3B in 2024.
Annual trade balance with the United Kingdom, not adjusted for inflation
In 2024, 57.3% of imports from the United Kingdom to the US were services. The largest category was business services, accounting for $23.7 billion. The top three imports were business services, financial services (services normally provided by banks and other financial institutions), and travel (money leaving the US by Americans spending on things like lodging, meals, transportation, and entertainment abroad). These categories accounted for $55.2 billion of total imports.
The other 42.7% were goods, with capital goods (tools used for the production process, like machinery and equipment) being the largest goods category. Capital goods accounted for $22 billion.
Business services made up 14.6% of US imports from the United Kingdom in 2024.
US imports from the United Kingdom by category (2024)
In 2024, more US exports to the United Kingdom were services — 55.4%. The largest export was financial services, which accounted for a value of $24.3 billion. The top three exports were financial services, other business services, and telecommunications and information services. These categories accounted for $60.1 billion of exports to the United Kingdom.
The other 44.6% were goods, with industrial supplies and materials (items used up in the production process, like oil, chemicals, and plastic) being the largest goods category. Industrial supplies and materials accounted for $25.9 billion.
Industrial supplies and materials made up 14.4% of US exports to the United Kingdom in 2024.
US exports to the United Kingdom by category (2024)
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
