United Kingdom’s Top 10 Imports 2021

The following product groups represent the highest dollar value in the United Kingdom’s import purchases during 2021 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.

1. Gems, precious metals: US$82.6 billion (12% of total imports)
2. Machinery including computers: $79.2 billion (11.5%)
3. Mineral fuels including oil: $69.9 billion (10.1%)
4. Vehicles: $63.7 billion (9.2%)
5. Electrical machinery, equipment: $60.9 billion (8.8%)
6. Pharmaceuticals: $26.9 billion (3.9%)
7. Plastics, plastic articles: $21 billion (3%)
8. Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $18.5 billion (2.7%)
9. Furniture, bedding, lighting , signs, prefab buildings: $14.2 billion (2%)
10. Other chemical goods: $13.1 billion (1.9%)

The United Kingdom’s top 10 imports accounted for roughly two-thirds (65.2%) of the overall value of its product purchases from all countries.

The mineral fuels including oil category posted the greatest increase from 2020 to 2021, up by 107.6%.

In second place were miscellaneous chemical goods (up 107.6%), furniture, bedding, lighting, signs and prefabricated buildings (up 34.2%) then plastics as materials plus items made from plastic (up 13.5%).

Leading the decliners was the precious metals category via its -23.8% decline year over year, weighed down by lower spending on imported gold.

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, see the adjacent virtual folder tabs.

UK importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of precious metals and gems during 2021.

1. Gold (unwrought): US$53.9 billion (down -39% from 2020)
2. Platinum (unwrought): $11.9 billion (up 26.2%)
3. Silver (unwrought): $6.2 billion (up 125.9%)
4. Precious metal waste, scrap: $5.6 billion (up 39.8%)
5. Jewelry: $2.7 billion (up 0.9%)
6. Diamonds (unmounted/unset): $1.6 billion (up 154.9%)
7. Imitation jewelry: $301.7 million (up 15.2%)
8. Precious/semi-precious stones (unstrung): $209.3 million (up 112.3%)
9. Natural pearl/precious stone items: $53 million (up 57.5%)
10. Coins: $50.5 million (up 380.9%)

Among these import subcategories, British purchases of coins (up 380.9%), unmounted and unset diamonds (up 154.9%) then silver (up 125.9%) grew at the fastest pace from 2020 to 2021.

These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported precious metals and gems among UK businesses and consumers.

In 2021, UK importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machinery including computers.

1. Computers, optical readers: US$16.2 billion (up 0.1% from 2020)
2. Turbo-jets: $15.1 billion (up 8.5%)
3. Taps, valves, similar appliances: $3.3 billion (up 17%)
4. Piston engine parts: $3 billion (up 2.8%)
5. Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $2.6 billion (up 22.9%)
6. Machinery parts: $2.3 billion (up 32%)
7. Printing machinery: $2.3 billion (up 0.1%)
8. Refrigerators, freezers: $2.3 billion (up 22.6%)
9. Air or vacuum pumps: $2.2 billion (up 19.8%)
10. Liquid pumps and elevators: $2 billion (down -1.7%)

Among these import subcategories, British purchases of machinery parts (up 32%), centrifuges, filters and purifiers (up 22.9%) then refrigerators and freezers (up 22.6%) grew at the fastest pace from 2020 to 2021.

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.

In 2021, UK importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of mineral fuels including oil.

1. Petroleum gases: US$26.5 billion (up 340.3% from 2020)
2. Crude oil: $23.9 billion (up 53%)
3. Processed petroleum oils: $13.4 billion (up 36.3%)
4. Electrical energy: $4 billion (up 318.6%)
5. Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $655.2 million (up 57.1%)
6. Coke, semi-coke: $583.3 million (up 123%)
7. Petroleum oil residues: $400.5 million (up 77.4%)
8. Coal tar oils (high temperature distillation): $271.9 million (up 49%)
9. Peat: $81.3 million (up 8.2%)
10. Petroleum jelly, mineral waxes: $72.6 million (up 24.1%)

Among these import subcategories, British purchases of petroleum gases (up 340.3%), electrical energy (up 318.6%) then coke or semi-coke (up 123.0%) grew at the fastest pace from 2020 to 2021.

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.

In 2021, UK importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of vehicles.

1. Cars: US$35.7 billion (up 2.9% from 2020)
2. Automobile parts/accessories: $12.1 billion (up 4.9%)
3. Trucks: $8.9 billion (up 52.2%)
4. Tractors: $1.9 billion (up 4.5%)
5. Trailers: $1.1 billion (up 42.8%)
6. Automobile bodies: $773 million (up 30.2%)
7. Motorcycles: $750.9 million (down -4.2%)
8. Motorcycle parts/accessories: $564.5 million (up 10.7%)
9. Bicycles, other non-motorized cycles: $515.5 million (down -2.8%)
10. Armored vehicles, tanks: $480.2 million (2020 data unavailable)

Among these import subcategories, British purchases of trucks (up 52.2%), trailers (up 42.8%) then automobile bodies (up 30.2%) grew at the fastest pace from 2020 to 2021.

These amounts clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported vehicles among UK businesses and consumers.