China has become the UK’s largest source of imports
On May 25, local time, the latest data released by the National Bureau of Statistics of the United Kingdom showed that in the first quarter of 2021 (January to March), the total merchandise trade (including imports and exports) between the United Kingdom and non-EU countries exceeded that of EU countries. China has surpassed Germany to become the UK’s largest source of imports.
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics of the United Kingdom, the total merchandise trade (including imports and exports) between the United Kingdom and EU countries in the first three months of 2021 decreased by 23.1% compared with the first quarter of 2018; while trade with countries outside the EU The amount fell by only 0.8% over the same period.
Since the second quarter of 2020 (April to June), the number of goods imported by the UK from China has exceeded the number of goods imported from any other country, and it has been on an upward trend. By the first quarter of 2021, goods imported from China accounted for 16.1% of total UK imports, an increase of 65.6% compared to the first quarter of 2018.
Since the British National Bureau of Statistics began to record in 1997, China has surpassed Germany for the first time to become the UK’s largest import market. Part of the reason is that due to the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia, the UK has increased its demand for Chinese textiles used to make masks and personal protective equipment (PPE).
In addition, the increased demand for Chinese electrical products (communication and audio equipment) during the epidemic prevention and blockade has also boosted the growth of British import trade from China.
Prior to this, Germany had always been Britain’s main import market, except for the six months between the end of 2000 and the beginning of 2001, when Britain imported more goods from the United States. The National Bureau of Statistics of the United Kingdom said that since April 2019, the volume of imported goods from Germany has declined, which coincides with the increase in uncertainty caused by Brexit and the timing of the 2020 new crown pneumonia epidemic.China has become the UK’s largest source of imports
