United Kingdom
Foreign trade
The United Kingdom, the world's fifth-largest trading nation, is highly dependent on foreign trade. It must import almost all its copper, ferrous metals, lead, zinc, rubber, and raw cotton; most of its tin, raw wool, hides and skins, and many other raw materials; and about one-third of its food.
The United Kingdom's major export commodities are manufactured items and crude petroleum. The top 10 exports are as follows:
| % OF COUNTRY TOTAL | |
| Telecommunications equipment | 5.8 |
| Crude petroleum | 5.6 |
| Automobiles | 5.1 |
| Automatic data processing equipment | 5.0 |
| Medicinal and pharmaceutical products | 3.9 |
| Aircraft | 3.6 |
| Engines and motors | 3.5 |
| Transistors and valves | 3.3 |
| Professional and scientific measuring equipment | 3.0 |
| Motor vehicle parts and accessories | 2.6 |
In 2000 the United Kingdom's imports were distributed among the following categories:
| Consumer goods | 18.1% |
| Food | 7.2% |
| Fuels | 4.4% |
| Industrial supplies | 22.8% |
| Machinery | 29.5% |
| Transportation | 17.0% |
| Other | 1.0% |
Principal trading partners in 2000 (in millions of US dollars) were as follows:
| COUNTRY | EXPORTS | IMPORTS | BALANCE |
| United States | 41,969 | 39,485 | -2,484 |
| Germany | 30,471 | 40,595 | -10,124 |
| France | 25,606 | 25,666 | -60 |
| Netherlands | 21,080 | 22,049 | -969 |
| Ireland | 18,516 | 13,541 | 4,975 |
| Belgium | 14,061 | 14,786 | -725 |
| Italy | 11,779 | 14,083 | -2,304 |
| Spain | 11,760 | 8,913 | 2,847 |
| Japan | 5,386 | 15,755 | -10,369 |
| China (inc. Hong Kong) | 3,881 | 16,803 | -12,922 |
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
United Kingdom forum