The European Union recorded a €186.6 billion trade surplus with the United Kingdom in 2025, according to new data released by Eurostat. EU exports to the U.K. reached €345.3 billion during the year, while imports totaled €158.7 billion, leaving the bloc with a substantial surplus in goods trade.

Trade Share Has Declined, But The U.K. Remains A Major Market

Although the U.K. continues to be one of the EU’s largest trading partners, its share of overall EU trade has declined over the past decade. In 2015, the U.K. accounted for 11.2% of all EU imports and 16.9% of total exports. By 2020, those shares had fallen to 9.9% and 14.4%, respectively.

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Following the U.K.’s departure from the EU single market in 2021, export flows remained relatively stable. EU exports to the U.K. represented 13.0% of total exports in 2021 and 13.1% in 2025. Over the same period, the share of imports from the U.K. declined from 7.0% to 6.3%.

Vehicles, Machinery And Energy Products Dominate Trade Flows

Trade between the EU and the U.K. continues to be concentrated in several key industrial sectors. The five largest product categories accounted for 47.1% of all EU exports to the U.K. in 2025. Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock represented the largest category at €55.8 billion, or 16.2% of total exports.

Machinery, mechanical appliances and parts followed at €44.9 billion (13.0%), ahead of electrical machinery and parts, audio-visual equipment and accessories at €27.2 billion. Pharmaceutical products accounted for €20.4 billion, while mineral fuels and oils reached €14.5 billion.

Imports From The U.K. Show A Similar Concentration

A similar pattern was visible on the import side, where the five largest categories accounted for 48.5% of all goods imported from the U.K.Machinery, mechanical appliances and parts ranked first at €22.6 billion, representing 14.3% of total imports. Mineral fuels and oils followed closely at €22.0 billion (13.9%), while vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock accounted for €15.1 billion.

Pharmaceutical products totaled €9.0 billion, and imports of electrical machinery and parts, audio-visual equipment and accessories reached €8.3 billion. The data show that vehicles, machinery, pharmaceuticals, and energy products remained among the most traded goods between the EU and the U.K. in 2025, despite changes in the trading relationship since Brexit.