Imports rose by £7.4bn over the quarter while exports rose by £1.2bn, the Office for National Statistics said.
The UK’s total trade deficit, excluding precious metals, more than doubled quarter-on-quarter to £10.4bn between July and September 2026, as imports grew much faster than exports.
The UK’s underlying trade deficit widened by £6.2bn to £10.4bn in Quarter 3 2026, compared with a deficit of £4.2bn in Quarter 2, according to the Office for National Statistics. Total imports rose by £7.4bn to £255.9bn across the quarter, while exports increased by £1.2bn to £245.5bn.
The goods trade deficit bore the brunt of the deterioration, widening by £6.1bn to £61.5bn. Goods exports actually fell by £0.4bn during the period, while goods imports climbed by £5.6bn. The services trade surplus narrowed slightly, by £0.1bn to £51.1bn.
The underlying measure deliberately strips out non-monetary gold and other precious metals, whose movements the ONS describes as large and volatile enough to distort the headline figure. Adjusted for both precious metals and inflation, the deficit widened by £5.1bn to £9.9bn in the quarter.
The £51.1bn services surplus continues to offset part of the £61.5bn goods deficit.
All figures are seasonally adjusted and cover July to September 2026.
Source: @ONS