That dollar amount reflects a 36.3% upturn from $695.6 billion five years earlier during 2021 and a 16.3% year-over-year acceleration from $815.6 billion in 2024.
Based on the average exchange rate for 2025, the British pound gained 3.1% against the US dollar from 2024 to 2025. Britain’s stronger local currency makes its imports paid for in weaker US dollars relatively less expensive when converted starting from the British pound.
Gold, cars, turbo-jets, phone devices including smartphones, and refined petroleum oils are the most valuable products imported into Britain during 2025.
Overall, British imports represent 3.9% of the world’s total imports which totaled an estimated $24.259 trillion one year earlier during 2024.
From a continental perspective, nearly half (48.7%) of United Kingdom’s total imports by value in 2025 was purchased from fellow European countries (compared to 37.4% from European Union members). Trade partners in Asia supplied 27% of import purchases by the United Kingdom while 17.2% originated from suppliers in North America.
Smaller percentages came from Africa (3.9%), Oceania (1.8%) led by Australia and New Zealand, then Latin America (1.4%) including the Caribbean but excluding Mexico.
Given Britain’s population of 69.9 million people, its total US$948.8 billion in 2025 imports translates to roughly $13,600 in yearly product demand from every person living in the United Kingdom. That average metric is higher than the $12,000 per capita one year earlier.
Great Britain’s Top 10 Imports
The following product groups represent the highest dollar value in British import purchases during 2025 at the two-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level. Also shown is the percentage share each product category represents in terms of overall imports into Britain.
- Gems, precious metals: US$180.3 billion (19% of total imports)
- Machinery including computers: $115.8 billion (12.2%)
- Vehicles: $93.4 billion (9.8%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $76.2 billion (8%)
- Mineral fuels including oil: $75.4 billion (8%)
- Pharmaceuticals: $31.6 billion (3.3%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $25.3 billion (2.7%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $20 billion (2.1%)
- Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefab buildings: $13.8 billion (1.5%)
- Aircraft, spacecraft: $13.4 billion (1.4%)
Britain’s top 10 import product categories generated more than two-thirds (68%) of the overall value of its product purchases from all countries.
The gems and precious metals category posted the greatest increase from 2024 to 2025, up by 94.3% propelled by Britain’s greater spending on imported gold.
In second place were UK imports of machinery including computers (up 21.6%), ahead of the optical, technical and medical apparatus category (up 6.6%).
Leading the decliners were aircraft and spacecraft via an -11.6% year-over-year reduction and mineral fuels including oil via a -7.7% setback.
Note that the results listed above are at the categorized two-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level. For a more detailed view of imported goods at the four-digit HTS code level, peruse the sections below.
Britain’s Main Imports of Gems and Precious Metals
British importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of gems and precious metals during 2025.
- Gold (unwrought): US$154.5 billion (up 100.2% from 2024)
- Silver (unwrought): $11.6 billion (up 166.3%)
- Platinum (unwrought): $6.2 billion (up 36.2%)
- Jewelry: $3.8 billion (up 25.8%)
- Precious metal waste, scrap: $2.1 billion (up 19.7%)
- Diamonds (unmounted/unset): $1.2 billion (up 11.5%)
- Imitation jewelry: $370.6 million (up 0.1%)
- Precious/semi-precious stones (unstrung): $228.9 million (down -0.2%)
- Natural pearl/precious stone items: $83.3 million (up 1.2%)
- Synthetic precious stones: $59.3 million (up 13.4%)
Among these import subcategories, British purchases of unwrought silver (up 166.3%), unwrought gold (up 100.2%) then unwrought platinum (up 36.2%) grew at the fastest pace from 2024 to 2025.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported gems and precious metals among Britain’s businesses and consumers.
Britain’s Main Imports of Machinery
In 2025, British importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machinery including computers.
- Turbo-jets: US$35.3 billion (up 55.5% from 2024)
- Computers, optical readers: $21.1 billion (up 30.7%)
- Taps, valves, similar appliances: $4.3 billion (down -1.2%)
- Piston engine parts: $3.9 billion (up 7.3%)
- Miscellaneous machinery: $3.4 billion (up 15.4%)
- Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $3.1 billion (up 1%)
- Air or vacuum pumps: $2.9 billion (up 4.3%)
- Liquid pumps and elevators: $2.7 billion (up 5.9%)
- Transmission shafts, gears, clutches: $2.6 billion (up 8.3%)
- Refrigerators, freezers: $2.5 billion (up 11%)
Among these import subcategories, British purchases of turbo-jets (up 55.5%), computers or optical readers (up 30.7%) then miscellaneous machinery (up 15.4%) grew at the fastest pace from 2024 to 2025.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported machinery among Britain’s businesses and consumers.
Britain’s Main Imports of Vehicles
In 2025, British importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of vehicles.
- Cars: US$61.8 billion (up 8.9% from 2024)
- Automobile parts/accessories: $11.6 billion (down -7.3%)
- Trucks: $10.6 billion (down -3%)
- Tractors: $2.8 billion (down -0.2%)
- Trailers: $1.4 billion (up 18.1%)
- Public-transport vehicles: $1.3 billion (up 35.3%)
- Motorcycles: $1 billion (up 3.9%)
- Automobile bodies: $647.6 million (up 5%)
- Armored vehicles, tanks: $633.9 million (up 36.5%)
- Motorcycle parts/accessories: $440.7 million (up 10.3%)
Among these import subcategories, British purchases of armored vehicles such as tanks (up 36.5%), public-transport vehicles (up 35.3%) then trailers (up 18.1%) grew at the fastest pace from 2024 to 2025.
These amounts clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported vehicles among Britain’s businesses and consumers.
Britain’s Main Imports of Mineral Fuels
In 2025, British importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of mineral fuels including oil.
- Crude oil: US$25.6 billion (down -17.5% from 2024)
- Processed petroleum oils: $23.7 billion (down -11.7%)
- Petroleum gases: $19.6 billion (up 12.4%)
- Electrical energy: $4.7 billion (up 18.2%)
- Coal tar oils (high temperature distillation): $627.4 million (down -36.6%)
- Petroleum oil residues: $551.3 million (up 1.7%)
- Coke, semi-coke: $328 million (down -36.7%)
- Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $247.6 million (down -14.2%)
- Petroleum jelly, mineral waxes: $73.4 million (up 1.8%)
- Peat: $47.7 million (down -1.6%)
Among these import subcategories, British purchases of electrical energy (up 18.2%), petroleum gases (up 12.4%) then petroleum jelly and mineral waxes (up 1.8%) grew at the fastest pace from 2024 to 2025.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported mineral fuels-related products among Britain’s businesses and consumers.
See also United Kingdom’s Top 10 Exports, United Kingdom’s Top Trading Partners, UK’s Major Trade Balances with America, United Kingdom’s Top 10 Major Export Companies and United Kingdom’s Exported Services
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles. Accessed on September 26, 2026
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on September 26, 2026
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on September 26, 2026
X-rates.com, Exchange Rates: British Pound to US Dollar (monthly average 2025). Accessed on September 26, 2026