UK exports to US fall to lowest level since 2022 as Trump tariffs hit British trade

UK exports to the US have fallen to their lowest level in more than three years, as Donald Trump’s renewed tariff regime continues to weigh heavily on British trade.

New figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the value of UK exports to the US fell by £500 million in September, an 11.4% drop month-on-month, bringing trade back to levels last seen in January 2022.

The Office for National Statistics said exports “remained relatively low since the tariffs were imposed in April”, when the Trump administration imposed a basic 10% tariff on most British goods. Although this is lower than the tariff rate applied to many other countries, it represents a significant step back from the tariff-free access previously enjoyed by British exporters.

The decline came despite the trade deal struck between President Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer earlier this year, which eliminated US tariffs on the UK aviation sector and reduced duties on car imports from 25% to 10%.

However, the easing was not enough to offset the broader slowdown in demand. The Office for National Statistics reported sharp declines across key categories: chemical exports fell by £300 million, while exports of machinery and transport equipment fell by £100 million, driven in part by the cyber attack on Jaguar Land Rover, which halted production for five weeks in September.

More broadly, British trade in world markets weakened. Total goods exports fell by £1.7 billion, or 5.5%, in September, with declines recorded in EU and non-EU markets.

This deterioration pushed the UK’s goods trade deficit wider, rising by £3 billion to £59.6 billion in the third quarter of the year.

These figures underscore the pressures facing British exporters as the government prepares for a crucial budget later this month. With weak global demand, persistent supply chain issues, and tariffs squeezing competitiveness in the UK’s largest single-country export market, companies will look closely for support measures to offset growing headwinds.