UK goods trade deficit widens to £61.5bn as imports outpace exports

The UK’s goods trade deficit widened by £6.1bn to £61.5bn in the third quarter of 2026, as goods imports rose while exports fell, the Office for National Statistics said on Thursday.

The total goods and services deficit widened by £6.2bn to £10.4bn between July and September, because total imports increased by more than total exports.

Across goods and services together, imports rose by £7.4bn compared with the previous quarter, while exports rose by only £1.2bn.

The services surplus narrowed by just £0.1bn to an estimated £51.1bn, as imports of services rose by more than exports of services.

The ONS said value and inflation-adjusted goods trends have diverged since early 2026, a gap it described as “linked to high fuel prices” for both imports and exports.

After inflation was removed, the total deficit widened by £5.1bn to £9.9bn, a smaller increase than the £6.2bn widening recorded in current prices.

The trade balance is calculated as total exports less total imports, so a wider deficit means the gap in favour of imports has grown.

The value of goods imports rose by £3.7bn, or 6.9%, in September compared with August, with increases from both EU and non-EU countries.

Goods exports rose by £2.2bn, or 6.5%, over the same month, with higher sales to both EU and non-EU markets.

Within imports, purchases from non-EU countries rose by £2.5bn (9.5%), while imports from the EU rose by £1.3bn (4.5%).

Within exports, sales to non-EU countries rose by £1.5bn (7.8%), while exports to the EU rose by £0.8bn (4.9%).

Imports from the EU were £1.7bn higher than from non-EU countries in September, while exports to the EU were £3.4bn lower than exports to non-EU countries.

With inflation removed, goods imports rose by £3.0bn, or 5.8%, in September, compared with the 6.9% increase in value terms.

Real goods exports rose by £1.8bn, or 5.5%, in the month, against the 6.5% rise in current prices.

Early estimates suggest services imports rose by £0.3bn (0.9%) in September and services exports by £0.4bn (0.8%), though the monthly services figures are estimated from forecast third-quarter data.

The ONS said all the trade figures exclude non-monetary gold and other precious metals, because movements in them can be large and volatile.

Data from HM Revenue and Customs make up over 90% of the value of trade in goods, according to the ONS quality and methods guide.

HMRC said its own overseas trade in goods estimates differ slightly from the ONS balance of payments figures, as the two sets of data follow different rules.

HMRC’s next detailed goods trade figures, covering October, are due on 11 December.