That dollar total reflects a 7.2% increase from $490.8 billion for 2018 and an 11.8% uptick from $470.4 billion one year earlier in 2021.
Based on its average exchange rate for 2022, the British pound depreciated by -8.2% against the US dollar since 2018 and declined by -11.6% from 2021 to 2022. The UK’s weaker local currency makes British exports paid for in comparatively stronger US dollars relatively less expensive for international buyers.
Britain’s biggest export products by value in 2022 were gold, cars, turbo-jets, crude oil and medication mixes in dosage. In aggregate, those major exports account for almost a third (32.4%) of overall exports sales from the United Kingdom. The UK’s top commodities suggest a diversified range of exported goods.
The United Kingdom ranks among world-leading nations for exporting aircraft parts, platinum and gold.
UK’s Most Valuable Trading Partners
The latest available country-specific data shows that 73.1% of products exported from the UK were bought by importers in: United States of America (12.8% of the global total), Netherlands (8.7%), Germany (8.3%), Ireland (7.3%), Switzerland (6.9%), mainland China (also 6.9%), France (6.1%), Hong Kong (4.7%), Belgium (4.4%), United Arab Emirates (2.4%), Spain (also 2.4%) and Italy (2.3%).
From a continental perspective, 54.3% of products exported by value from the United Kingdom was delivered to European countries while 26.4% was sold to Asian importers. The UK shipped another 14.3% worth of goods to North America.
Smaller percentages went to Africa (2.2%), Latin America (1.5%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then Oceania (1.3%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
While no longer a member of the European Union, nevertheless the UK collected 45.6% of its global revenues from exports from the remaining 27 members of the EU.
Given United Kingdom’s population of 67.6 million people, its total $526.3 billion in 2022 exported products translates to roughly $7,800 for every resident in the western European economic powerhouse. That percentage outpaces the $6,800 per person one year earlier.
United Kingdom’s Top 10 Exports
The following export product groups categorize the highest dollar value in UK global shipments during 2022. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Great Britain.
- Gems, precious metals: US$96.2 billion (18.3% of total exports)
- Machinery including computers: $74.9 billion (14.2%)
- Mineral fuels including oil: $56.9 billion (10.8%)
- Vehicles: $40.6 billion (7.7%)
- Pharmaceuticals: $27.8 billion (5.3%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $27.4 billion (5.2%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $20.2 billion (3.8%)
- Aircraft, spacecraft: $13.2 billion (2.5%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $13 billion (2.5%)
- Organic chemicals: $12.6 billion (2.4%)
The United Kingdom’s top 10 exports approached three-quarters (72.7%) of the overall value of its global shipments.
Mineral fuels including oil was the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 50.8% since 2021. Shipments of petroleum gases accelerated at the fastest pace.
In second place for improving export sales was gems and precious metals which rose 46.3% led by greater global revenues for UK’s exported silver and gold.
United Kingdom’s shipments of machinery including computers posted the third-fastest gain in value, up by 8.8% year over year.
The leading decliner among United Kingdom’s top 10 export categories was for aircraft and spacecraft which fell -3% compared to 2021.
Note that the results listed above are at the categorized two-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level. For a more granular view of exported goods at the four-digit HTS code level, see the section Searchable List of UK’s Most Valuable Export Products further down near the bottom of this article.
Britain’s Major Food Exports
Calculated based on the overall $526.3 billion worth of products shipped from the United Kingdom in 2022, food exports amounted to a subtotal $18.1 billion or a relatively modest 3.4% of the UK’s exported goods. In comparison, Canada’s international food shipments represent 10.9% of total Canadian products exported in 2022.
The subtotal value of Britain’s international food shipments shrank by -3% compared to 2018. However, the UK posted a 4.8% upturn in food-related revenues from 2021 to 2022.
The most valuable food category for British shippers was miscellaneous edible preparations, representing 15.2% of the UK’s international food sales. The miscellaneous edible preparations product category includes exports of sauces, ice cream and soups.
In second place were UK exports of dairy produce including eggs and honey via a 13.6% year-over-year gain.
The other leading product categories are cereal or milk preparations (13.1% of Britain’s total exports), meat (13%) led by sheep or goat meat ahead of pork or beef, fish (10.8%), then cocoa and cocoa preparations (6%).
Products Creating Trade Surpluses for Britain
The following types of UK product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.
In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.
- Gems, precious metals: US$35.6 billion (Reversing a -$16.6 billion deficit for 2021)
- Aircraft, spacecraft: $4.4 billion (Down by -39.3%)
- Collector items, art, antiques: $3 billion (Up by 0.2%)
- Iron, steel: $1.4 billion (Up by 17.3%)
- Beverages, spirits, vinegar: $1.2 billion (Up by 44.2%)
- Books, newspapers, pictures: $1.1 billion (Down by -0.7%)
- Tanning, dyes, paints, varnishes, ink: $918.4 million (Down by -13.6%)
- Ships, boats: $669.5 million (Down by -14.7%)
- Nickel: $408.3 million (Up by 0.5%)
- Arms, ammunition: $317.2 million (Down by -50.5%)
United Kingdom has highly positive net exports in the international trade of gems and precious metals, particularly gold. In turn, these cashflows indicate United Kingdom’s strong competitive advantages under the gems and precious metals product category.
Products Causing Trade Deficits for Britain
The United Kingdom incurred an overall -$288.8 billion trade deficit during 2022. That dollar amount represents a 32.7% expansion from -$217.6 billion in red ink one year earlier.
Below are exports from United Kingdom that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country United Kingdom’s goods trail UK importer spending on foreign products.
- Mineral fuels including oil: -US$80.3 billion (Up by 146.8% since 2021)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: -$39 billion (Up by 11.1%)
- Vehicles: -$33.2 billion (Up by 52%)
- Machinery including computers: -$14.4 billion (Up by 33.2%)
- Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: -$11.7 billion (Up by 20.9%)
- Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefabricated buildings: -$11.1 billion (Up by 2.8%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: -$9.7 billion (Up by 18.7%)
- Wood: -$8.7 billion (Down by -6.7%)
- Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): -$8.2 billion (Up by 33.1%)
- Paper, paper items: -$6.2 billion (Up by 49.1%)
Notably, the United Kingdom has highly negative net exports under the mineral fuels including oil product category and therefore deep international trade deficits. One root cause for those product deficits was the UK’s increased spending on imported petroleum gases and crude oil.
These cashflow deficiencies clearly indicate United Kingdom’s competitive disadvantages in the international energy market, but also represent key opportunities for United Kingdom to improve its position in the global economy through focused innovations.
Major UK Export Companies
Here are UK export companies ranking among the largest international trade players for the United Kingdom.
- Anglo American PLC (diversified metals, mining)
- AstraZeneca (pharmaceuticals)
- BP (oil, gas)
- British American Tobacco (tobacco)
- GlaxoSmithKline (pharmaceuticals)
- Johnson Matthey (chemicals)
- Mondi Group (paper, paper products)
- Rio Tinto Group (diversified metals, mining)
- SABMiller (beverages)
- Smith & Nephew (medical equipment, supplies)
According to global trade intelligence firm Zepol, the following companies are also examples of UK exporters.
- Allied Pickfords UK (forage products, corn, t-shirts)
- Cadbury UK (chocolate bars, other chocolate preparations)
- GKN Timet UK (titanium)
- Optivite International (formic acid, proprionic acid, animal feeds not for dog or cat)
- Rothenberger UK (pipe/bolt cutters, propylene, miscellaneous tubes/pipes/hoses)
Searchable List of UK’s Most Valuable Export Products
At the more granular four-digit HTS code level, the following searchable table displays 100 of the most in-demand goods shipped from the United Kingdom during 2022. Shown beside each product label is its total export value then the percentage increase or decrease since 2021.
| Rank | UK Export Product | Value (US$) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gold (unwrought) | $70,833,686,000 | +71% |
| 2 | Cars | $29,293,791,000 | -3% |
| 3 | Turbo-jets | $28,565,076,000 | +23.1% |
| 4 | Crude oil | $21,124,238,000 | +7.1% |
| 5 | Medication mixes in dosage | $20,695,215,000 | +8.6% |
| 6 | Processed petroleum oils | $18,723,179,000 | +79.3% |
| 7 | Petroleum gases | $10,395,109,000 | +127.7% |
| 8 | Aircraft or spacecraft parts | $10,352,178,000 | +0% |
| 9 | Platinum (unwrought) | $9,446,929,000 | -30.6% |
| 10 | Alcohol (including spirits, liqueurs) | $9,280,966,000 | +21% |
| 11 | Silver (unwrought) | $8,085,684,000 | +123.3% |
| 12 | Heterocyclics, nucleic acids | $6,133,076,000 | +47% |
| 13 | Blood fractions (including antisera) | $5,832,098,000 | +1% |
| 14 | Automobile parts/accessories | $5,041,970,000 | +1.3% |
| 15 | Phone system devices | $4,762,696,000 | +13.3% |
| 16 | Computers, optical readers | $4,730,390,000 | +2% |
| 17 | Electrical energy | $4,148,917,000 | +467.7% |
| 18 | Engines (diesel) | $4,031,459,000 | +12.3% |
| 19 | Iron or steel scrap | $3,935,285,000 | -2% |
| 20 | Jewelry | $3,373,526,000 | +18.3% |
| 21 | Taps, valves, similar appliances | $3,304,409,000 | +6.3% |
| 22 | Hand-drawn paintings, drawings | $3,247,719,000 | +17.8% |
| 23 | Electro-medical equip (e.g. xrays) | $3,146,151,000 | -4.8% |
| 24 | Centrifuges, filters and purifiers | $2,973,147,000 | -6.4% |
| 25 | Precious metal waste, scrap | $2,612,487,000 | -5.4% |
| 26 | Physical/chemical analysis tools | $2,608,341,000 | +0.5% |
| 27 | Aircraft, spacecraft | $2,601,612,000 | -4% |
| 28 | Trucks | $2,590,411,000 | +30.7% |
| 29 | Heavy machinery (bulldozers, excavators, road rollers) | $2,252,456,000 | -8.6% |
| 30 | Other diagnostic/lab reagents | $2,242,184,000 | -19.7% |
| 31 | Miscellaneous machinery | $2,238,189,000 | +3.9% |
| 32 | Beauty/makeup/skin care preparations | $2,221,632,000 | -5.6% |
| 33 | Integrated circuits/microassemblies | $2,080,184,000 | +24.1% |
| 34 | Liquid pumps and elevators | $2,032,698,000 | -8.5% |
| 35 | Coal tar oils (high temperature distillation) | $1,989,704,000 | +30.2% |
| 36 | Printed books, brochures | $1,986,640,000 | -0% |
| 37 | Precious metal compounds | $1,969,236,000 | -4.1% |
| 38 | Orthopedic appliances | $1,941,529,000 | +13.4% |
| 39 | Lower-voltage switches, fuses | $1,931,588,000 | -3.2% |
| 40 | Other measuring/testing machines | $1,916,434,000 | +5.2% |
| 41 | Tractors | $1,799,594,000 | +17.6% |
| 42 | Electrical/optical circuit boards, panels | $1,787,322,000 | +3.8% |
| 43 | Air or vacuum pumps | $1,781,848,000 | +2.9% |
| 44 | Other food preparations | $1,654,400,000 | -0.8% |
| 45 | Plastic plates, sheets, film, tape, strips | $1,571,805,000 | +11.9% |
| 46 | Copper waste, scrap | $1,544,166,000 | -6.7% |
| 47 | Insulated wire/cable | $1,542,160,000 | -6% |
| 48 | Transmission shafts, gears, clutches | $1,533,892,000 | +12.9% |
| 49 | Miscellaneous plastic items | $1,505,629,000 | -3.4% |
| 50 | Electrical machinery | $1,502,451,000 | -5.4% |
| 51 | Machinery parts | $1,488,089,000 | +3.7% |
| 52 | Plastic packing goods, lids, caps | $1,470,061,000 | -4.3% |
| 53 | Miscellaneous iron or steel items | $1,448,179,000 | +0.3% |
| 54 | Sort/screen/washing machinery | $1,424,955,000 | +5.7% |
| 55 | Electrical converters/power units | $1,405,067,000 | +5.9% |
| 56 | Packaged insecticides/fungicides/herbicides | $1,372,855,000 | +5.4% |
| 57 | Printing machinery | $1,372,462,000 | -5.8% |
| 58 | Other organic cleaning preparations | $1,372,156,000 | +8.8% |
| 59 | Chemical industry products/residuals | $1,292,903,000 | -1.8% |
| 60 | Piston engine parts | $1,285,525,000 | -4.2% |
| 61 | Oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers | $1,268,913,000 | -2.7% |
| 62 | Liquid/gas checking instruments | $1,262,796,000 | +3.6% |
| 63 | Temperature-change machines | $1,245,819,000 | +33% |
| 64 | Regulate/control instruments | $1,216,888,000 | -15.8% |
| 65 | Hormones, miscellaneous steroids | $1,208,431,000 | -13.1% |
| 66 | Fork-lift trucks | $1,207,665,000 | +12.1% |
| 67 | Seats (excluding barber/dentist chairs) | $1,203,388,000 | +0.7% |
| 68 | Diamonds (unmounted/unset) | $1,192,646,000 | +40.9% |
| 69 | Navigational aids including compasses | $1,192,467,000 | +1.9% |
| 70 | Bread, biscuits, cakes, pastries | $1,187,603,000 | +1.4% |
| 71 | Aluminum waste, scrap | $1,164,350,000 | +21.7% |
| 72 | X-ray equipment | $1,155,721,000 | -5.8% |
| 73 | Miscellaneous animal feed preparations | $1,151,425,000 | -0.7% |
| 74 | Yachts, other pleasure/sports vessels | $1,132,214,000 | +20% |
| 75 | Miscellaneous furniture | $1,113,484,000 | +7.9% |
| 76 | Plastic tubes, pipes, fittings | $1,064,489,000 | +4.5% |
| 77 | Miscellaneous engines, motors | $1,019,983,000 | +14.6% |
| 78 | Piston engines | $1,014,412,000 | -8.8% |
| 79 | Personal toilet/shaving preparations, deodorants | $1,004,518,000 | +5.3% |
| 80 | Chocolate, other cocoa preparations | $1,004,386,000 | -1.9% |
| 81 | Lifting/loading machinery | $1,002,907,000 | -3.9% |
| 82 | Whole fish (fresh) | $967,309,000 | -8.8% |
| 83 | Miscellaneous iron and steel structures | $962,328,000 | -10% |
| 84 | Radar, radio communication items | $957,471,000 | +168.8% |
| 85 | Iron and steel screws, bolts, nuts, washers | $948,146,000 | +7.6% |
| 86 | Paper/paperboard waste, scrap | $932,442,000 | -7.3% |
| 87 | Cheese, curd | $913,798,000 | +17.5% |
| 88 | Cases, handbags, wallets | $899,601,000 | -7.8% |
| 89 | Electric generating sets, converters | $898,213,000 | +3.9% |
| 90 | Solar power diodes/semi-conductors | $880,549,000 | +24.9% |
| 91 | Electric motors, generators | $872,809,000 | +10.2% |
| 92 | Polyacetal/ether/carbonates | $868,268,000 | -0.1% |
| 93 | Aluminum (unwrought) | $865,346,000 | +29.6% |
| 94 | Other coloring matter, luminophores | $862,054,000 | -1% |
| 95 | Women's clothing (not knit or crochet) | $851,552,000 | -12.3% |
| 96 | Ethylene polymers | $840,135,000 | +10.6% |
| 97 | Sculptures, statues | $831,465,000 | -1.6% |
| 98 | Stainless steel ingots | $815,760,000 | +24% |
| 99 | Machinery for making semi-conductors | $813,487,000 | +7.9% |
| 100 | Computer parts, accessories | $809,348,000 | -14.7% |
These 100 exported goods were worth a subtotal of US$393.5 billion or three-quarters (74.8%) by value for all products exported from the UK during 2022.
In macroeconomic terms, the United Kingdom’s total exported goods represent 13.9% of its overall Gross Domestic Product for 2022 ($3.776 trillion valued in Purchasing Power Parity US dollars). That 13.9% for exports to overall GDP per PPP in 2022 compares to 14% one year earlier. Those percentages suggest a modestly decreasing reliance on products sold on international markets for the UK’s total economic performance.
Another key indicator of a geographical entity’s economic health is its unemployment rate. Britain’s unemployment rate averaged 3.825% for 2022, up from an average 4.475% for 2021 according to the International Monetary Fund.
See also United Kingdom’s Top 10 Imports, United Kingdom’s Top Trading Partners, UK’s Major EU Exports, United Kingdom’s Top 10 Major Export Companies and World’s Top Food Exports Special Data Report
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on March 19, 2023
International Monetary Fund, Exchange Rates selected indicators (Domestic Currency per U.S. dollar, period average). Accessed on March 19, 2023
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on March 19, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on March 19, 2023
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on March 19, 2023
Richest Country Reports, Key Statistics Powering Global Wealth. Accessed on March 19, 2023
SHIPHUB, HS Code for Food. Accessed on March 19, 2023
Wikipedia, Gross domestic product. Accessed on March 19, 2023
Wikipedia, List of Companies based in London. Accessed on March 19, 2023
Wikipedia, Purchasing power parity. Accessed on March 19, 2023
Zepol’s company summary highlights by country. Accessed on March 19, 2023
