The United States primarily buys machinery, transport equipment (especially cars), and chemical products from the UK, totaling over £60 billion in goods for 2023. Top imports include medicinal/pharmaceutical products, passenger cars, aircraft components, and specialized industrial machinery.
This trade deal will significantly expand U.S. market access in the UK, creating a $5 billion opportunity for new exports for U.S. farmers, ranchers, and producers. This includes more than $700 million in ethanol exports and $250 million in other agricultural products, like beef.
The largest U.S. imports from many countries are oil and gas, electronics, cars and pharmaceuticals. But there's another way to look at what Americans import: trying to measure a country's distinct contribution to the U.S.'s total needs.
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Of all UK exports to United States in the four quarters to the end of Q2 2025, £64.1 billion (31.4%) were goods and £140.2 billion (68.6%) were services.
Yes, Brexit has significantly harmed UK trade, particularly goods trade with the EU, due to increased red tape, customs checks, and regulatory barriers that raise costs and complexity, leading to reduced trade volumes, especially for smaller firms, though services trade has seen stronger growth, offsetting some losses, but overall UK trade openness has fallen relative to other advanced economies, say. While some argue the impact is exaggerated or offset by non-EU trade, most analyses point to a negative effect, with goods exports to the EU still well below pre-Brexit levels despite recovery in services.
Canada was the largest purchaser of U.S. goods exports in 2022, accounting for 17.3 percent of total U.S. goods exports. The top five purchasers of U.S. goods exports in 2022 were: Canada ($356.5 billion), Mexico ($324.3 billion), China ($150.4 billion), Japan ($80.2 billion), and the United Kingdom ($76.2 billion).
The service sector dominates, contributing 82% of GDP; the financial services industry is particularly important, and London is the second-largest financial centre in the world.
UK fresh fruit and vegetable exports are largely seasonal. In terms of fruit, the UK is a significant exporter of apples, pears, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, plums, cherries and rhubarb. When it comes to vegetables, potatoes remain the UK's biggest single export vegetable.
The volume of imports is driven by the level of domestic production, market conditions such as the price, existing stock levels, and customer demand. Due to environmental and climate conditions, the UK is consistently reliant on imports to meet demand for some arable crops.
China sits firmly at the top, exporting around $3.6 trillion in goods—more than the United States and Germany combined. The U.S. follows with $2.1 trillion, while Germany ranks third with nearly $1.7 trillion, reflecting its strong automotive and industrial base.
Cars were the most valuable type of commodity exported from the United Kingdom in 2024, with exports of this commodity valued at approximately 32.9 billion British pounds.
Most of the revenue the U.S. government collects comes from contributions from individual taxpayers, small businesses, and corporations through taxes. Additional sources of tax revenue consist of excise tax, estate tax, and other taxes and fees.
Groups of products where the United States is more reliant on imports include sweeteners, processed sugar, and confections. Fruits, nuts, and vegetables are also frequently imported.
