How much does the UK trade with China?
UK trade with China was £107.2 billion in the four quarters to the end of March 2026, according to DBT's China trade and investment factsheet published on 24 September 2026. UK exports to China were £32.3 billion and imports from China £74.9 billion, so the UK had a trade deficit with China.
China was the UK's fourth largest trading partner, accounting for 5.6% of total UK trade. The factsheet also breaks the figures down by product, by service type and by UK nation and region.
Partner figures are revised as new survey data arrive, so quote the period and edition. Goods made in China but shipped via another country may be recorded against that country. Factsheets for every other partner are in the DBT collection.
When is the next figure out?
The ONS UK trade bulletin and HMRC's overseas trade in goods statistics are published on the same day each month, about six weeks after the reference month, at 7am alongside monthly GDP. Balance of payments comes out quarterly at the end of the quarter after the reference period. HMRC regional trade statistics are quarterly. DBT updates its factsheets after each quarterly ONS country release and its UK trade in numbers each month. HMRC's upcoming dates are on the uktradeinfo release calendar.
Every official release due in the next two weeks is on the release calendar.
Where the figures come from
- UK trade statistics (ONS, HMRC uktradeinfo and Department for Business and Trade)Where to find official UK trade figures: the ONS trade bulletin and balance of payments, HMRC uktradeinfo by product code, and DBT country factsheets.
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This answer says where the official figures are published and how they are defined. It gives no verdict on any claim. To report an error, send a correction request. More questions about trade, exports and brexit: all Trade, exports and Brexit questions.