Top 10 products Imported to the UK: The United Kingdom bought goods worth $815.1 billion from around the world in 2024. This was more than in previous years. The pound’s value against the US dollar decreased during this time making imports more expensive. The top products the UK imported in 2024 were petroleum gases, cars, gold, crude oil, processed oils, and turbo-jets. Nearly half of the UK’s imports came from Europe with a smaller percentage from Asia and North America. Africa, Latin America, and Oceania also contributed.
In this article, we will discuss the top 10 products Imported to the UK. Let’s start.
Top 10 Products Imported to the UK
The top 10 products imported into the UK include:
|
Product
|
Value
|
|
Precious Metals Production
|
$44.7B
|
|
Motor Vehicle Manufacturing
|
$40.0B
|
|
Petroleum Refining
|
$34.3B
|
|
Pharmaceuticals (medicines and medical supplies)
|
$17.7B
|
|
Crude Petroleum & Natural Gas Extraction
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$23.3B
|
|
Aircraft, Engine & Parts Manufacturing
|
$21.5B
|
|
Clothing Manufacturing
|
$20.4B
|
|
Computer & Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing
|
$16.0B
|
|
Motor Vehicle Parts & Accessories Manufacturing
|
$12.3B
|
|
Communication Equipment Manufacturing
|
$9.4B
|
The Precious Metals Production industry is expected to grow steadily with revenue increasing by 14.3% annually over the next five years, reaching £279.4 million by 2023-24. Due to high prices for precious metals even small companies can make decent profits with minimal staff. However, the demand for gold and silver in technologies like film and digital devices has decreased, leading to less recovery of precious metals from scrap. This has caused purchasing costs to rise and has slightly slowed down industry growth.
2. Motor Vehicle Manufacturing
The Motor Vehicle Manufacturing industry has seen a decline in the last five years. This is because fewer people are buying cars due to tighter budgets. In 2019, car production dropped by 14.2%, and engine production fell by 7.2% compared to the previous year, according to the SMMT. The COVID-19 pandemic made things worse for the industry, with output falling by 29.3% in 2020 compared to 2019. Revenue is expected to decrease by 5.9% annually over the next five years, reaching £46.6 billion by 2022-23 including a projected 2% decline this year.
3. Petroleum Refining
The Petroleum Refining industry in the UK is expected to grow by 2.1% over the next five years, reaching $34.3 billion in revenue by 2023-24. This industry is influenced by changes in global oil prices and demand for refined petroleum products. While there is a shift towards cleaner energy sources due to environmental concerns, the demand for petroleum products remains high. Improved technology and processes in refining have also helped reduce costs and improve efficiency for companies in this industry.
4. Pharmaceuticals (Medicines and Medical Supplies)
The UK is a big player in the pharmaceutical industry which is important for both the global market and the UK’s economy. A lot of money comes from selling medicines to other countries but the amount of sales abroad has gone down in the last five years.
In recent years, it has grown because more people need healthcare products and there have been improvements in medical research and technology. The COVID-19 pandemic also showed how important pharmaceuticals are, leading to faster research for vaccines and treatments. Even though there are challenges like rules and competition the pharmaceutical industry is expected to keep growing as healthcare needs change and new treatments are discovered.
Oil and gas production in the UK has decreased over the past ten years because the old oil fields are running out and finding new ones is getting harder. To cope with this companies are working together to become more efficient. Some companies are making more money now because they invested in new fields earlier, and those fields are now producing oil and gas.
Recently, oil and gas companies have made a lot of money because the prices for oil and gas went up around the world. They expect to keep making more money in the next five years with revenue going up by an average of 4.8% every year until 2023-24. But, even though they are making more money, the percentage of that money they keep as profit is going down a bit because oil and gas prices are getting lower.
6. Aircraft, Engine & Parts Manufacturing
The Aircraft, Engine and Parts Manufacturing industry in the UK is expected to make less money over the next five years, with revenue decreasing by 3.4% on average each year. However, this year revenue is expected to go up by 3.5% because Air India ordered 250 Airbus aircraft.
The UK industry is the second-biggest in the world after the US. It is important for investment and research and development. The UK is known for making aircraft wings and engines. Usually, orders for planes and plane parts are made years before they are needed so even when the economy is not doing well, the industry still makes deliveries.
7. Clothing Manufacturing
Over the next five years 2023-24 the clothing manufacturing industry is expected to shrink by an average of 5.4% each year, reaching £2.2 billion. Before the pandemic British-made clothes were popular, especially in emerging economies, and brands like Mulberry and Burberry were in demand.
Although making clothes in the Far East is not as cheap as it used to be, a lot of clothes are still imported into the UK, which stops the industry from growing. However, since COVID-19, more small clothing makers have started their businesses.
8. Computer & Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing
The Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing industry is very competitive. Products like computers, software, and other accessories are sold at low prices, which makes it hard for companies to make big profits. Most of the manufacturing of these products now happens in countries where labor is cheaper and supply chains are more efficient.
9. Motor Vehicle Parts & Accessories Manufacturing
Before 2018-19, the Motor Vehicle Parts & Accessories Manufacturing sector did well because more vehicles were on the roads so there were more sales for fixing up cars. But then the number of new cars being made went down which made it harder for this industry to make money, even though people still needed to fix their cars. When COVID-19 started in 2020-21, factories had to close because of lockdowns, and fewer people were buying car parts. Even when things started to get better in 2021, people still weren’t buying as many car parts as before.
10. Communication Equipment Manufacturing
Making communication equipment is important because it helps people stay connected through phones, radios, and other devices. In the UK, companies make this equipment, but it is tough because it is often cheaper to make it in other countries. Despite this, UK companies focus on making high-quality products to compete globally.
About the Top 10 Products Imported to the UK
In the UK, the most important things they bring in from other countries are mineral fuels like oil and gas. Recently, there’s been a big increase in imports of electronic equipment and machines, like computers. Even knitwear, like sweaters, has seen more coming in. But precious metals, like gold, haven’t changed much. These imports can change over time, but looking at the top 10 things the UK brings in gives us a good idea of how the country’s economy is doing.
Conclusion
The UK buys many different things from other countries. Some of the most important things it buys are fuel, electronic gadgets, and machines. These imports come from countries like China, Germany, and the United States. These things help the UK run smoothly and keep up with modern technology.
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FAQs on Top 10 products Imported to the UK
What is UK biggest import?
The main imports of the United Kingdom include Gold ($53.9 billion), Cars ($33.6 billion), Petroleum Gas ($26.8 billion), Crude Petroleum ($23.4 billion), and Packaged Medicaments ($15.2 billion). These goods are primarily sourced from countries like China ($86.2 billion), Germany ($76.3 billion), the United States ($55.5 billion), the Netherlands ($43.1 billion), and Norway ($33.5 billion).
What is special in UK?
The U.K. is known all over the world for its sports and literature.
Which countries are the main suppliers of these imports?
The main suppliers of these imports are China, Germany, the United States, the Netherlands, and Norway.
How does the UK government regulate the importation of these products?
The UK government regulates the importation of these products through customs authorities, trade agreements, import tariffs, product standards, and safety regulations.
What are 2 major UK imports?
Mineral fuels and Mechanical appliances are two major UK imports.
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