The UK's goods trade deficit hit a record high in 2025.

According to a report by the Financial Times on February 12th, in 2025, the UK's goods import - export trade deficit reached a record high, while the service trade achieved a record surplus, highlighting the trend of the UK economy's transformation from manufacturing to the service industry.

Data released by the UK's Office for National Statistics today shows that the UK's goods trade deficit in 2025 will reach £248.3 billion, an increase of £30.5 billion compared to the previous year, the largest deficit since data collection began in 1997. In contrast, the UK's service exports exceeded imports by £191.8 billion, an increase of £16.4 billion compared to the previous year. The value of goods and service imports increased by £32 billion, a 3.4% increase, reaching £959.2 billion. Exports increased by £17.9 billion this year, a 2% increase, reaching £902.8 billion. This means that the overall trade deficit widened by £14.1 billion last year, reaching £56 billion.

Fhaheen Khan, an economist at Make UK, the UK's manufacturing trade body, said that the UK's goods trade deficit is the result of "a long - term decline in industrial production".

He said that the strong performance of the pound in the past year and the reduction of energy and production costs in other countries have helped to promote the UK's imports of cheaper products.

Sophie Hale, a trade economist at the Resolution Foundation think - tank, said that the service industry data reveals the UK's "long - term advantage" in this field. In recent years, the growth rate of global service trade has always been faster than that of goods trade, and this trend has benefited the UK, which is the world's second - largest service trade exporter after the United States. (Economic and Commercial Office of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Ireland)