Imports of goods and services to the UK fell 0.2 percent from a month earlier to GBP 56.71 billion in May 2019, the second consecutive month of decline, as goods purchases dropped 0.6 percent, due to food & live animals (-2 percent), crude materials (-2.6 percent), and unspecified goods (-53.9 percent). On the other hand, increases were recorded in imports of fuels (19.9 percent), machinery & transport equipment (2.4 percent), chemicals (3.8 percent). Imports of goods from the EU advanced 0.8 percent, as increases in purchases from Italy (0.9 percent), Spain (2.2 percent), Ireland (3.6 percent) were partially offset by declines in imports from Germany (-3.1 percent), the Netherlands (-5.7 percent), France (-0.3 percent), and Belgium (-3.9 percent). Meanwhile, purchases from non-EU countries slumped 2 percent, due to purchases from Canada (-45.2 percent), Russia (-35.6 percent). Still, imports grew from China (3.5 percent), the US (1.3 percent) and Turkey (5.6 percent). Imports in the United Kingdom averaged 25900.72 GBP Million from 1955 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 62200 GBP Million in March of 2019 and a record low of 1031 GBP Million in June of 1955.
Imports in the United Kingdom is expected to be 58500.00 GBP Million by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate Imports in the United Kingdom to stand at 59400.00 in 12 months time. In the long-term, the United Kingdom Imports is projected to trend around 60500.00 GBP Million in 2020, according to our econometric models.