That dollar amount reflects a 14.3% increase from $692.5 billion five years earlier during 2019 but a -3% year-over-year downtick from $816.3 billion in 2022.
Based on the average exchange rate for 2023, the British pound depreciated by -2.7% against the US dollar since 2019 but increased by 0.8% from 2022 to 2023. The UK’s weaker local currency since 2019 makes its imports paid for in stronger US dollars relatively more expensive when converted starting from the British pound.
Gold, cars, crude oil, turbo-jets and mobile phones are among the most valuable products imported into the United Kingdom during 2023.
The UK’s imports represent 3.1% of the world’s total imports which totaled an estimated $25.371 trillion one year earlier during 2022.
From a continental perspective, half (50%) of United Kingdom’s total imports by value in 2023 were purchased from fellow European countries (compared to 42.1% from European Union members). Trade partners in Asia supplied 29.6% of import purchases by the United Kingdom while 14.9% originated from suppliers in North America.
Smaller percentages came from Africa (3.1%), Latin America (1.7%) including the Caribbean but excluding Mexico, then Oceania (0.8%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
Given the United Kingdom’s population of 68.1 million people, its total $791.4billion in 2023 imports translates to roughly $11,600 in yearly product demand from every person living in the United Kingdom. That average metric is higher than the $9,400 per capita two years earlier for 2021.
United Kingdom’s Top 10 Imports
The following product groups represent the highest dollar value in the United Kingdom’s import purchases during 2023 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 the United Kingdom.
- Machinery including computers: US$97.3 billion (12.3% of total imports)
- Mineral fuels including oil: $92.1 billion (11.6%)
- Vehicles: $90 billion (11.4%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $74 billion (9.3%)
- Gems, precious metals: $63.4 billion (8%)
- Pharmaceuticals: $27.3 billion (3.4%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $23.5 billion (3%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $19.6 billion (2.5%)
- Aircraft, spacecraft: $15 billion (1.9%)
- Organic chemicals: $12.9 billion (1.6%)
The United Kingdom’s top 10 imports accounted for almost two-thirds (65.1%) of the overall value of its product purchases from all countries.
The aircraft and spacecraft product category posted the greatest increase from 2022 to 2023, up by 70.7%.
In second place were UK imports of vehicles (up 22.4%), ahead of electrical machinery and equipment (up 10.8%).
Leading the decliners were imported mineral fuels including oil via a -32.9% reduction year over year, weighed down by lower UK spending on petroleum gases and crude oil.
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.
UK’s Main Imports of Machinery
In 2023, UK importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machinery including computers.
- Turbo-jets: US$25.7 billion (up 17.2% from 2022)
- Computers, optical readers: $15.3 billion (up 10.3%)
- Taps, valves, similar appliances: $3.9 billion (up 7%)
- Piston engine parts: $3.6 billion (up 16.7%)
- Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $2.9 billion (down -3.8%)
- Air or vacuum pumps: $2.9 billion (up 10.5%)
- Miscellaneous machinery: $2.6 billion (up 16.1%)
- Liquid pumps and elevators: $2.55 billion (up 5.4%)
- Machinery parts: $2.48 billion (down -0.2%)
- Transmission shafts, gears, clutches: $2.35 billion (up 16.6%)
Among these import subcategories, British purchases of turbo-jets (up 17.2%), piston engine parts (up 16.7%) then transmission shafts, gears and clutches (up 16.6%) grew at the fastest pace from 2022 to 2023.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported machinery among UK businesses and consumers.
UK’s Main Imports of Mineral Fuels
In 2023, UK importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of mineral fuels including oil.
- Crude oil: US$32.4 billion (down -18.1% from 2022)
- Processed petroleum oils: $27.2 billion (down -9%)
- Petroleum gases: $25.6 billion (down -57.2%)
- Electrical energy: $3.9 billion (up 16.6%)
- Coal tar oils (high temperature distillation): $761.3 million (down -13.6%)
- Coke, semi-coke: $673.5 million (down -18.5%)
- Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $643 million (down -66.9%)
- Petroleum oil residues: $629.2 million (up 0.03%)
- Petroleum jelly, mineral waxes: $69.9 million (down -10.1%)
- Peat: $57.1 million (up 10.9%)
Among these import subcategories, British purchases of electrical energy (up 16.6%), peat (up 10.9%) then petroleum oil residues (up 0.03%) grew from 2022 to 2023.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported mineral fuels among UK businesses and consumers.
UK’s Main Imports of Vehicles
In 2023, UK importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of vehicles.
- Cars: US$56.5 billion (up 27.3% from 2022)
- Automobile parts/accessories: $13.2 billion (up 15%)
- Trucks: $11.2 billion (up 18.6%)
- Tractors: $3.6 billion (up 24.9%)
- Trailers: $1.4 billion (down -6.3%)
- Motorcycles: $1.1 billion (down -1.3%)
- Automobile bodies: $608.5 million (up 13.8%)
- Public-transport vehicles: $459.2 million (up 119.6%)
- Motorcycle parts/accessories: $457.9 million (down -24%)
- Bicycles, other non-motorized cycles: $375.7 million (down -25%)
Among these import subcategories, British purchases of public-transport vehicles (up 119.6%), cars (up 27.3%) then tractors (up 24.9%) grew at the fastest pace from 2022 to 2023.
These amounts clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported vehicles among UK businesses and consumers.
UK’s Main Imports of Electronics
UK importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of electrical items including consumer electronics during 2023.
- Phone devices including smartphones: US$21.9 billion (up 30.3% from 2022)
- Insulated wire/cable: $5.3 billion (up 4.6%)
- Electric storage batteries: $4.3 billion (up 31.3%)
- Electrical converters/power units: $4.1 billion (up 11.2%)
- TV receivers/monitors/projectors: $3.9 billion (down -12.4%)
- Electrical/optical circuit boards, panels: $3.2 billion (up 19.3%)
- Electric water heaters, hair dryers: $3.04 billion (down -0.8%)
- Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $3.02 billion (up 6.2%)
- Integrated circuits/microassemblies: $2.8 billion (down -14.8%)
- Electric motors, generators: $1.8 billion (up 14.4%)
Among these import subcategories, British purchases of electric storage batteries (up 31.3%), phone devices including smartphones (up 30.3%), then electrical or optical circuit boards and panels (up 19.3%) grew at the fastest pace from 2022 to 2023.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported electrical items among UK 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 March 20, 2024
International Monetary Fund, Exchange Rates selected indicators (Domestic Currency per U.S. dollar, period average). Accessed on March 20, 2024
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on March 20, 2024
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on March 20, 2024
Imported Consumer Products, UK’s Top 100 Imported Consumer Products. Accessed on June 25, 2023