The gap between what the UK sells abroad (exports) and what it buys in (imports). A surplus means exports exceed imports; a deficit means the reverse. A move towards surplus means the country earns more from the world than it spends there; a move towards deficit means it spends more than it earns, and must fund the shortfall from overseas.
Source: Office for National Statistics
Coverage: UK
Trump teases new ‘punishment’ for Canada over wildfire smoke
The Independent · John Bowden · 3 August 2026
Amazon gets $600 million back after Supreme Court sinks Trump tariffs
The Independent · Owen Scott · 3 August 2026
Amazon received hundreds of millions in Trump tariff refunds – and says it will return some to customers
The Independent · Owen Scott · 3 August 2026
The GCC’s AI strategy: Inside the region’s $150bn race
City AM · The Business Year · 31 July 2026
Trump erupts at Supreme Court after major rulings go against him
The Independent · Joe Sommerlad · 30 July 2026
Reporting from the left, centre and right of the press.
BP boss is unsentimental in pruning portfolio and clear on North Sea advice to Burnham | Nils Pratley
The Guardian · Nils Pratley · 4 August 2026
How British farmers are unwittingly funding Putin's war machine
The i · Cahal Milmo · 5 August 2026
Government urged to refuse £1bn British Steel repayment to Chinese former owner
City AM · Mauricio Alencar · 7 August 2026
The latest figures across all Business & Trade metrics.
Sterling Exchange Rate
85.0+0.2
May 2026
Investment · FDI Outflows
£-3bn+2.3%
2026 Q1
Investment · FDI Inflows
£12bn−6.7%
2026 Q1
Business Investment
£77bn+0.7%
2026 Q1
Trade · Balance
£-15bn−3.3%
2026 Q1
Trade · Imports
£254bn+7.4%
2026 Q1
Trade · Exports
£239bn+4.1%
2026 Q1
Active Enterprises
2.9m−10.8k
2024
Business · Deaths
280,375−29.3k
2024
Business · Births
317,435+1.4k
2024
Research & Development
£56bn+2.4%
2024
