Exporting to United Kingdom: what it imports and how to enter
United Kingdom reported 723 billion USD of imports across the 15 chapters it buys most (2025). The top three are natural, cultured pearls, machinery and…
Published on 27 September 2026Updated on 29 September 2026Exporting from Spain
United Kingdom reported 723 billion USD of imports across the 15 chapters it buys most (2025). The top three are natural, cultured pearls, machinery and mechanical appliances and vehicles. It sits outside the European Union: every shipment clears customs and the duty depends on your heading.
Fact sheet
- Code
- GB
- European Union
- No
Most imported chapters
USD · 2025| Chapter | Imports (USD) |
|---|---|
| 71 · Natural, cultured pearls; precious, semi-precious stones… | 180,661,915,503 |
| 84 · Machinery and mechanical appliances, boilers, nuclear… | 115,744,915,206 |
| 87 · Vehicles; other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and… | 93,751,702,395 |
| 85 · Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound… | 76,222,219,831 |
| 27 · Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their… | 75,440,208,730 |
| 50 · Silk | 33,348,279,892 |
| 30 · Pharmaceutical products | 31,580,309,116 |
| 90 · Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring… | 25,297,222,845 |
| 39 · Plastics and articles thereof | 20,006,931,959 |
| 94 · Furniture; bedding, mattresses, mattress supports, cushions… | 13,765,799,770 |
| 88 · Aircraft, spacecraft, and parts thereof | 13,427,247,491 |
| 61 · Apparel and clothing accessories; knitted or crocheted | 11,982,641,946 |
| 73 · Iron or steel articles | 11,457,210,969 |
| 22 · Beverages, spirits and vinegar | 10,979,648,725 |
| 44 · Wood and articles of wood; wood charcoal | 9,425,506,724 |
Imports declared by each country from the world. Countries report with a delay: the period is the latest with consolidated data.
Source: UN ComtradeData for 2025Verified on 29 September 2026
What United Kingdom buys
The chapter United Kingdom imports most is natural, cultured pearls, at 181 billion USD in 2025, followed by machinery and mechanical appliances (116 billion USD) and vehicles (94 billion USD). Demand is spread across several chapters, with none clearly dominant.
The table ranks two-digit chapters, which are broad product families. To judge whether this market fits you, you need to go down to your six-digit heading: within one chapter sit products with very different demand, duties and requirements. If you do not know yours, look it up in the HS Code finder.
Three things are worth checking before you quote, and none can be assumed: the duty applied to your heading, whether a preferential agreement between the European Union and United Kingdom lowers it, and which certificates or controls your product faces on arrival. All three are looked up by heading and country in Access to Markets, the European Commission's official tool.
Frequently asked questions
What does United Kingdom import?
In 2025, its largest imports by chapter were natural, cultured pearls, machinery and mechanical appliances and vehicles. The table on this page lists the top 15 with the reported figure for each, according to UN Comtrade.
What duty will I pay?
It depends on your tariff heading and on the agreement in force, not on the country in the abstract: two products in the same chapter can pay different rates. Look it up heading by heading in Access to Markets, with Spain as origin and United Kingdom as destination.
Where do I start if I do not have a tariff heading?
By finding it: it is the field the duty, the entry requirements and the trade statistics all hang from. The first six digits are common to every country applying the Harmonized System. You can search for yours in the HS Code finder and confirm it with your customs agent, who is the one answerable for the classification.
Does this data mean there is demand for my product?
It means that chapter enters the country, and in what volume, which is the first filter. It does not say at what price, through which channel or against which competitors, and those three decide whether the deal works. The figure is from 2025: countries report with a lag, so it is for comparing markets against each other, not for forecasting next month.
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