U.S. President Donald Trump (left) speaks with reporters after meeting with reporters during the Group of Seven (G7) Summit at Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, June 16, 2025.
Brendan Smialowski AFP | Getty Images
British exports to the United States plunged by about 25% following President Donald Trump’s “Emancipation Day” tariff blitz, and have since stabilized, according to official data.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) announced on Friday that exports of goods to the US, excluding precious metals, had fallen by £1.5bn (24.7%) due to the introduction of the tariffs.
The statistics agency added that UK car exports to the US have also fallen since then and are now below pre-tariff levels for the 12 months to April 2025.
While Britain’s exports of goods remain low, imports of goods rose in early 2026, marking the third consecutive month of trade deficit with the country’s largest trading partner.
Last year, Britain became the first country to strike a trade deal with the Trump administration after the president announced so-called Liberation Day tariffs, upending global markets. The terms of the agreement included imposing a 10% blanket tariff on goods imported into the United States.
This ended a tariff-free trading environment for exporters on both sides of the Atlantic and imposed new duties on Scotch whiskey and other spirits sent from Britain to the United States.
President Trump announced this week that he would remove all tariffs on Scotch whiskey “in honor” of King Charles III and Queen Camilla following the royal visit.
The Scotch whiskey industry employs around 40,000 people in Scotland and will account for 23% of all Scottish exports in 2025, but this alone will not be enough to make up for the UK’s overall deficit.
Samuel Edwards, head of client portfolio management at Everly, said: “The US remains the UK’s largest export market, so an economic downturn of this magnitude is likely to impact overall UK growth.”
“Exporters face the triple whammy of higher trade costs through tariffs, higher employment costs and taxes, and input price pressures, all of which are eroding margins and making it difficult to compete internationally.”
