Imports of goods and services to the UK advanced 1.1 percent month-over-month to GBP 59.97 billion in March 2019, as purchases rose for goods (1.4 percent) and services (0.2 percent). Within goods commodities, imports rose mostly for chemicals (10 percent); miscellaneous manufactures (9.5 percent); machinery & transport equipment (2.2 percent) and material manufactures (2 percent). Meanwhile, purchases fell for unspecified goods (-40.8 percent); beverages & tobacco (-1.8 percent); animal & vegetable oils & fats (-1.8 percent) and crude materials (-0.5 percent). Among major trading partners, imports of goods from the EU rose 6.8 percent, mainly Germany (6.1 percent), the Netherlands (12.2 percent), France (16.9 percent), Italy (1.3 percent) and Spain (5.2 percent). At the same time, purchases from non-EU countries fell 4.8 percent, dragged down by lower imports from the US (-3.4 percent), Norway (-16.2 percent), Switzerland (-19 percent) and Australia (-24.9 percent). Imports in the United Kingdom averaged 25760.37 GBP Million from 1955 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 60212 GBP Million in January of 2019 and a record low of 1031 GBP Million in June of 1955.
Imports in the United Kingdom is expected to be 57800.00 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 59200.00 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.