Uncertainty hanging over UK trade prospects

19 Feb 2026

UK import and export trade prospects remain uncertain, according to the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).

Nearly every metric in the Office for National Statistics (ONS) latest trade data saw a decline in December as the volume of UK goods exports fell by 2.7%. Sales of goods to the EU dropped 1.8% year-on-year, and to non-EU countries by 3.6%.

Goods imports rose month-on-month in December by 0.7% with a strong increase in non-EU goods imports of 4.3%. This was offset by a fall in goods imports from the EU of 2.7%.

For 2025, the volume of all UK exports increased by 2% across the year, with imports up by 3.4%.

However, there was a distinct split between goods and services, with sales of products down by 2.1%, while purchases rose by 3.7%.

William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the BCC, said: 'The picture on UK goods exports is deeply worrying, as they continued their downward trend, slumping by 2.1% in 2025.

'There are many reasons for this; geopolitical tensions and trade policy volatility are key factors. But government must take a more proactive stance in response to kickstart growth.

'The key focus in 2026 must be on lowering tariffs and non-tariff trade barriers. That means working with Chambers and businesses on stronger trade promotion, and better support to access new markets.

'Given the Office for Budget Responsibility's latest forecast for a significant cooling in export growth for 2026, the time for action is now.'