United Kingdom Imports from China
The United Kingdom's imports from China fell to $98.46 billion in 2024, down from $99.22 billion in 2023, according to the UN Comtrade Database. This represents a decrease of 0.8% ($761.49 million) from the previous year. Top imports for the United Kingdom from China were Electrical machinery and equipment ($24.95 billion), Machinery, mechanical appliances, reactors ($17.65 billion) and Vehicles other than railway or tramway ($7.34 billion).
United Kingdom had a trade deficit with China that narrowed to $51.98 billion in 2024 from $64.93 billion in 2023. This is a decrease of 19.9% ($12.95 billion).
United Kingdom Imports from China by Goods (2024)
The table below shows the ranking of UK imports from China by goods in 2024, highlighting the top imported goods.
| Import Rank | Imported Goods | Import Value (USD) ↓ | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical machinery and equipment; audio and video equipment | $24.95B | 2024 |
| 2 | Machinery, mechanical appliances, reactors | $17.65B | 2024 |
| 3 | Vehicles other than railway or tramway and parts | $7.34B | 2024 |
| 4 | Furniture, bedding, lighting, prefabricated buildings | $5.55B | 2024 |
| 5 | Toys, games, sports goods | $4.61B | 2024 |
| 6 | Plastics and plastic articles | $2.92B | 2024 |
| 7 | Knitted or crocheted clothing | $2.69B | 2024 |
| 8 | Optical, medical, measuring instruments | $2.43B | 2024 |
| 9 | Articles of iron or steel | $2.38B | 2024 |
| 10 | Non-knitted clothing | $2.27B | 2024 |
| 11 | Pearls, precious stones, metals, jewelry, coins | $2.05B | 2024 |
| 12 | Footwear and parts | $1.63B | 2024 |
| 13 | Leather goods, bags, saddlery, travel goods | $1.33B | 2024 |
| 14 | Rubber and rubber articles | $1.24B | 2024 |
| 15 | Organic chemicals | $1.18B | 2024 |
| 16 | Paper, paperboard and articles | $1.08B | 2024 |
| 17 | Other textile articles, worn clothing, rags | $1.01B | 2024 |
| 18 | Miscellaneous base metal articles | $994.20M | 2024 |
| 19 | Tobacco, nicotine products and substitutes | $969.91M | 2024 |
| 20 | Wood and wood products, charcoal | $935.94M | 2024 |
| 21 | Miscellaneous manufactured goods | $869.26M | 2024 |
| 22 | Aluminium and aluminium articles | $759.44M | 2024 |
| 23 | Essential oils, perfumery, cosmetics | $746.31M | 2024 |
| 24 | Tools, cutlery, base metal parts | $731.84M | 2024 |
| 25 | Glass and glassware | $729.44M | 2024 |
| 26 | Miscellaneous chemical products | $650.36M | 2024 |
| 27 | Inorganic chemicals, precious metal compounds, isotopes | $601.43M | 2024 |
| 28 | Pharmaceutical products | $551.59M | 2024 |
| 29 | Mineral fuels, oils, waxes, bitumen | $510.62M | 2024 |
| 30 | Aircraft, spacecraft, parts | $469.63M | 2024 |
| 31 | Ceramic products | $425.57M | 2024 |
| 32 | Printed books, newspapers, printed matter | $395.17M | 2024 |
| 33 | Fish, crustaceans, molluscs, aquatic invertebrates | $333.28M | 2024 |
| 34 | Articles of stone, cement, mica, asbestos | $329.97M | 2024 |
| 35 | Soap, detergents, waxes, candles, dental products | $291.72M | 2024 |
| 36 | Iron and steel | $285.80M | 2024 |
| 37 | Feathers, down, artificial flowers, human hair goods | $285.62M | 2024 |
| 38 | Headgear | $267.63M | 2024 |
| 39 | Other base metals, cermets | $257.24M | 2024 |
| 40 | Copper and copper articles | $205.74M | 2024 |
| 41 | Clocks, watches, parts | $190.62M | 2024 |
| 42 | Fats and oils, edible fats, waxes | $186.82M | 2024 |
| 43 | Prepared meat, fish, crustaceans, insects | $181.90M | 2024 |
| 44 | Edible vegetables, roots, tubers | $176.08M | 2024 |
| 45 | Food industry residues, animal feed | $162.03M | 2024 |
| 46 | Miscellaneous edible preparations | $154.81M | 2024 |
| 47 | Dyes, pigments, tanning extracts, paints, inks | $154.12M | 2024 |
| 48 | Unspecified commodities | $134.70M | 2024 |
| 49 | Cereal, flour, starch, milk preparations, bakery | $122.76M | 2024 |
| 50 | Man-made filaments | $119.80M | 2024 |
| 51 | Wadding, felt, twine, ropes, cords | $117.83M | 2024 |
| 52 | Musical instruments, parts | $117.36M | 2024 |
| 53 | Prepared vegetables, fruits, nuts | $105.41M | 2024 |
| 54 | Technical textile fabrics, coated fabrics | $104.30M | 2024 |
| 55 | Umbrellas, canes, whips, riding crops | $99.77M | 2024 |
| 56 | Oilseeds, grains, fodder, medicinal plants | $98.20M | 2024 |
| 57 | Coffee, tea, mate, spices | $93.89M | 2024 |
| 58 | Sugar and confectionery | $86.27M | 2024 |
| 59 | Carpets and textile floor coverings | $80.82M | 2024 |
| 60 | Salt, sulphur, stone, cement | $75.92M | 2024 |
| 61 | Glues, enzymes, modified starches | $63.58M | 2024 |
| 62 | Special woven fabrics, lace, embroidery | $62.83M | 2024 |
| 63 | Edible fruits and nuts, citrus or melon peel | $62.79M | 2024 |
| 64 | Railway locomotives, rolling stock, track equipment | $61.64M | 2024 |
| 65 | Basketware, wickerwork, straw goods | $60.51M | 2024 |
| 66 | Nickel and nickel articles | $58.51M | 2024 |
| 67 | Knitted or crocheted fabrics | $55.91M | 2024 |
| 68 | Wool and animal hair fabrics | $55.55M | 2024 |
| 69 | Dairy, eggs, honey, other animal products | $50.90M | 2024 |
| 70 | Man-made staple fibres | $41.32M | 2024 |
| 71 | Animal products | $38.09M | 2024 |
| 72 | Explosives, pyrotechnics, matches | $37.70M | 2024 |
| 73 | Photographic and cinematographic goods | $28.94M | 2024 |
| 74 | Ships, boats, floating structures | $26.68M | 2024 |
| 75 | Beverages, spirits, vinegar | $26.68M | 2024 |
| 76 | Lac, gums, resins, vegetable extracts | $26.49M | 2024 |
| 77 | Works of art, antiques | $25.68M | 2024 |
| 78 | Milling products, malt, starch, inulin, wheat gluten | $25.10M | 2024 |
| 79 | Tin and tin articles | $25.04M | 2024 |
| 80 | Cotton | $18.51M | 2024 |
| 81 | Fertilizers | $15.33M | 2024 |
| 82 | Arms, ammunition, parts | $15.10M | 2024 |
| 83 | Zinc and zinc articles | $13.57M | 2024 |
| 84 | Cocoa and cocoa preparations | $9.41M | 2024 |
| 85 | Furskins and artificial fur | $8.96M | 2024 |
| 86 | Vegetable textile fibres, paper yarn | $8.58M | 2024 |
| 87 | Silk | $7.86M | 2024 |
| 88 | Vegetable plaiting materials, other vegetable products | $7.03M | 2024 |
| 89 | Ores, slag, ash | $4.95M | 2024 |
| 90 | Live plants, bulbs, roots, cut flowers, foliage | $4.05M | 2024 |
| 91 | Cork and cork products | $3.16M | 2024 |
| 92 | Raw hides, skins, leather | $1.68M | 2024 |
| 93 | Cereals | $1.34M | 2024 |
| 94 | Lead and lead articles | $1.30M | 2024 |
| 95 | Pulp, recovered paper, paperboard | $1.24M | 2024 |
| 96 | Meat and edible offal | $905,634.69 | 2024 |
| 97 | Live animals | $260,724.43 | 2024 |
United Kingdom Imports from China (1993-2024)
The table below shows historical data for UK imports from China by year, expressed in Billion USD.
| Year | Import Value (Billion USD) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 98.46 |
| 2023 | 99.22 |
| 2022 | 110.33 |
| 2021 | 91.16 |
| 2020 | 75.48 |
| 2019 | 65.53 |
| 2018 | 63.39 |
| 2017 | 59.86 |
| 2016 | 59.58 |
| 2015 | 62.98 |
| 2014 | 64.15 |
| 2013 | 57.59 |
| 2012 | 56.27 |
| 2011 | 66.04 |
| 2010 | 61.73 |
| 2009 | 52.10 |
| 2008 | 58.22 |
| 2007 | 53.23 |
| 2006 | 41.83 |
| 2005 | 36.15 |
| 2004 | 30.10 |
| 2003 | 23.50 |
| 2002 | 19.35 |
| 2001 | 16.79 |
| 2000 | 15.83 |
| 1999 | 5.67 |
| 1998 | 4.91 |
| 1997 | 4.09 |
| 1996 | 3.39 |
| 1995 | 3 |
| 1994 | 2.48 |
| 1993 | 1.97 |