UK: trade in motor vehicles

The UK reported a negative automotive trade balance in all the years recorded, except for in 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the country imported some 59.4 billion Great British pounds in automotive goods, compared to 34.4 billion Great British pounds in exports.

Economic contribution

The UK’s overall trade balance of goods was a negative 294.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2022 and negative 244.1 in 2021. That same year, the motor industry contributed about 14.1 billion British pounds to the UK’s economy. This was a decrease compared with the previous year when the motor industry was responsible for adding 15.3 billion British pounds to the country’s gross domestic product.

Production figures

In 2022, the UK produced roughly 775,000 million cars, a notable drop from nearly 859,600 million cars produced in 2021. Although the UK car production was declining for the past three years, the significant decrease in production that occurred in 2020 was mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trade value of motor vehicles exported from and imported to the United Kingdom (UK) from 2014 to 2022 (in billion GBP)

Characteristic	Exports	Imports
2022	34.4	59.4
2021	32	45
2020	43.8	30
2019	42.4	57.9
2018	44.4	57
2017	34.3	40.8
2016	31.5	39.8
2015	27	37.8
2014	27.3	33.3

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Release date

October 2023

More information

Region

United Kingdom

Survey time period

2014 to 2022

Supplementary notes

Automotive trade includes both passenger and commercial vehicles, as well as trailers, semi-trailers, parts, and components.
Vales prior to 2022 were taken from previous editions of the publication, save for 2021, which was retrieved from the source's Motor Industry Facts report published in 2023.

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