Customs declarants and declaration volumes for international trade in 2024: commentary
Updated 8 May 2025
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Introduction
This publication reports on customs declarations and declarants for international trade cleared by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) in 2024. Statistics are provided for goods moved between Great Britain (GB) and the European Union (EU), and the United Kingdom (UK) and non-EU countries. Customs declarations have been required for all GB trade in goods with the EU since 1 January 2021.
This publication provides different statistics on declarations volumes and the number of customs declarants. These include breakdowns by calendar month, by declarant representation, by location of entry or exit, and by type of declaration.
Summary statistics
Total number of customs declarations for international trade in goods cleared by HMRC in 2024
84.6 million These declarations were submitted and cleared by a total of 5,650 declarants
Declarants may change the number of customs declarations they submit for an equivalent volume of goods for a variety of reasons. This includes changes in the way they may use certain customs facilitations, and they may do so at any point within a given period. Therefore, declaration volumes are not a reliable measure of trade volume. Better indicators of UK trade performance are published monthly in the UK overseas trade in goods statistics (OTS). See Key data caveats and limitations for more.
Import declarations as a proportion of the total number of customs declarations for international trade in goods cleared in 2024
74.9% This represents 63.3 million import declarations submitted by 4,140 declarants. Conversely, there were 21.3 million export declarations submitted by 3,670 declarants.
The number of cleared customs declarations for trade in goods between GB and the EU in 2024
39.2 million These account for 46.3% of total declarations and were submitted by 4,010 declarants.
The number of cleared customs declarations for trade in goods between the UK and non-EU countries in 2024
44.9 million These account for 53.1% of total declarations and were submitted by 3,840 declarants.
The proportion of cleared export customs declarations for international trade in 2024 that were declared by a third party (as either direct or indirect representation)
91.5% 86.6% of the export declarant population cleared a declaration as a third party on at least one occasion.
The proportion of cleared import customs declarations for international trade in 2024 that were declared by a third party (as either direct or indirect representation)
74.3% 87.1% of the import declarant population cleared a declaration as a third party on at least one occasion.
Source: Customs declarants and declaration volumes for international trade in 2024 from HM Revenue & Customs
Data notes:
Declaration volumes have been rounded to the nearest thousand, and declarant counts have been rounded to the nearest ten.
Declarants may declare across both import and export trade flows, with both EU and non-EU countries, and may use different types of representation. Therefore, declarant counts are only unique within the specified breakdown of each statistic. Unique totals and subtotals across breakdowns can be found within the full statistical tables.
Customs declarations for internal trade movements have been excluded. This includes declarations between Northern Ireland (NI) and GB, as well as trade movements with the Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, and the UK continental shelf.
Trade partners for customs declarations are categorised as GB trade with the EU, UK trade with non-EU countries, or ‘Other’. The Other category contains customs declarations not between GB and the EU, or UK and non-EU countries. This includes declarations which have missing partner country information or are between NI and the EU. It also includes declarations containing goods traded with multiple partner countries that are within both the EU and non-EU.
Declaration volumes and declarant counts for 2024
Tables 1a to 1c show declaration volumes and declarant counts for the calendar year 2024.
In 2024, there were 63.3 million import customs declarations which were submitted and cleared by 4,140 declarants. In 2024, there were 21.3 million export customs declarations which were submitted and cleared by 3,670 declarants.
The number of GB import declarations from the EU was 26.1 million which were submitted and cleared by 2,830 declarants. The number of GB export declarations to the EU was 13.1 million which were submitted and cleared by 2,880 declarants.
For UK imports from non-EU countries, 36.8 million declarations were submitted and cleared by 2,810 declarants. For UK exports to non-EU countries, 8.1 million declarations were submitted and cleared by 2,570 declarants.
Table 1a: Import declarations and declarants by direction of movement and partner countries, 2024
| Direction of movement and partner countries | Declarations | Declarants |
|---|---|---|
| GB imports from the EU | 26,114,000 | 2,830 |
| UK imports from non-EU countries | 36,831,000 | 2,810 |
| Other imports | 386,000 | 1,050 |
| Total imports | 63,331,000 | 4,140 |
Source: Customs declarants and declaration volumes for international trade in 2024 from HM Revenue & Customs
Table 1b: Export declarations and declarants by direction of movement and partner countries, 2024
| Direction of movement and partner countries | Declarations | Declarants |
|---|---|---|
| GB exports to the EU | 13,073,000 | 2,880 |
| UK exports to non-EU countries | 8,099,000 | 2,570 |
| Other exports | 87,000 | 370 |
| Total exports | 21,260,000 | 3,670 |
Source: Customs declarants and declaration volumes for international trade in 2024 from HM Revenue & Customs
Table 1c: Import and export declarations and declarants by direction of movement and partner countries, 2024
| Direction of movement and partner countries | Declarations | Declarants |
|---|---|---|
| GB imports from and exports to the EU | 39,187,000 | 4,010 |
| UK imports from and exports to non-EU countries | 44,930,000 | 3,840 |
| Other imports and exports | 473,000 | 1,260 |
| Total imports and exports | 84,591,000 | 5,650 |
Source: Customs declarants and declaration volumes for international trade in 2024 from HM Revenue & Customs
Data notes for Tables 1a to 1c:
Declaration volumes have been rounded to the nearest thousand, and declarant counts have been rounded to the nearest ten. Therefore, the sum of breakdowns may not sum to totals given.
Declarants may declare across both import and export trade flows, with both EU and non-EU countries therefore, declarant counts are not mutually exclusive and will not sum to the unique totals and subtotals provided.
Customs declarations for internal trade movements have been excluded. This includes declarations between NI and GB, as well as trade movements with the Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, and the UK continental shelf.
The ‘Other’ trade partner category contains customs declarations not between GB and the EU, or UK and non-EU countries. This includes declarations which have missing partner country information, or are between NI and the EU. It also includes declarations containing goods traded with multiple partner countries that are within both the EU and non-EU.
Declaration volumes and declarant counts by type of representation
Tables 2a to 2c show how the number of declarations varied between the different types of representation, direction of movement and partner countries.
In 2024, most cleared customs declarations were intermediated. 67.9% of UK import declarations from non-EU countries were intermediated by a third party, compared to 83.1% of GB import declarations from the EU. The remaining customs declarations were self-declared by traders.
Declarant representation did not vary as much between partner country regions for exports declarations. For UK exports to non-EU countries, 87.4% of declarations were intermediated by a third party. Similarly, 94.4% of GB export declarations to the EU were intermediated by a third party. The remaining customs declarations were self-declared by traders.
Table 2a: Import declarations by direction of movement, partner countries and type of representation, 2024
| Direction of movement and partner countries | Declared by the trader | Declared by a third party | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB imports from the EU | 4,420,000 | 21,694,000 | 26,114,000 |
| UK imports from non-EU countries | 11,816,000 | 25,015,000 | 36,831,000 |
| Other imports | 34,000 | 352,000 | 386,000 |
| Total imports | 16,270,000 | 47,061,000 | 63,331,000 |
Source: Customs declarants and declaration volumes for international trade in 2024 from HM Revenue & Customs
Table 2b: Export declarations by direction of movement, partner countries and type of representation, 2024
| Direction of movement and partner countries | Declared by the trader | Declared by a third party | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB exports to the EU | 738,000 | 12,336,000 | 13,073,000 |
| UK exports to non-EU countries | 1,017,000 | 7,082,000 | 8,099,000 |
| Other exports | 59,000 | 29,000 | 87,000 |
| Total exports | 1,814,000 | 19,446,000 | 21,260,000 |
Source: Customs declarants and declaration volumes for international trade in 2024 from HM Revenue & Customs
Table 2c: Import and export declarations by direction of movement, partner countries and type of representation, 2024
| Direction of movement and partner countries | Declared by the trader | Declared by a third party | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB imports from and exports to the EU | 5,158,000 | 34,029,000 | 39,187,000 |
| UK imports from and exports to non-EU countries | 12,833,000 | 32,097,000 | 44,930,000 |
| Other imports and exports | 92,000 | 381,000 | 473,000 |
| Total imports and exports | 18,083,000 | 66,507,000 | 84,591,000 |
Source: Customs declarants and declaration volumes for international trade in 2024 from HM Revenue & Customs
Tables 3a to 3c show how the number of declarants varied between the different types of representation, direction of movement and partner countries.
In 2024, most declarants acted as third-party representatives on at least one occasion, 92.5% of declarants for UK imports from non-EU countries acted as a third party on at least one declaration. This was slightly lower for declarants of GB imports from the EU, at 88.9%.
A similarly high proportion of the export declarant population submitted declarations as a third party on at least one occasion. For declarants of UK exports to non-EU countries, 91.1% submitted at least one declaration as a third party. This was lower for declarants of GB exports to the EU, at 85.1%.
In comparison, a much lower proportion of declarants acted as self-declaring traders. For declarants of GB imports from the EU, 22.5% submitted at least one declaration by self-representation compared to 20.1% of declarants of UK imports from non-EU countries.
A similarly low proportion of export declarants submitted at least one declaration by self-representation. For declarants of GB exports to the EU, 25.3% submitted at least one declaration by self-representation, this was higher for declarants of UK exports to non-EU countries, at 24.1%.
Table 3a: Import declarants by direction of movement, partner countries and type of representation, 2024
| Direction of movement and partner countries | Self declaring traders | Third party declarants | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB imports from the EU | 640 | 2,520 | 2,830 |
| UK imports from non-EU countries | 570 | 2,600 | 2,810 |
| Other imports | 650 | 590 | 1,050 |
| Total imports | 1,250 | 3,600 | 4,140 |
Source: Customs declarants and declaration volumes for international trade in 2024 from HM Revenue & Customs
Table 3b: Export declarants by direction of movement, partner countries and type of representation, 2024
| Direction of movement and partner countries | Self declaring traders | Third party declarants | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB exports to the EU | 730 | 2,450 | 2,880 |
| UK exports to non-EU countries | 620 | 2,340 | 2,570 |
| Other exports | 70 | 320 | 370 |
| Total exports | 1,050 | 3,180 | 3,670 |
Source: Customs declarants and declaration volumes for international trade in 2024 from HM Revenue & Customs
Table 3c: Import and export declarants by direction of movement, partner countries and type of representation, 2024
| Direction of movement and partner countries | Self declaring traders | Third party declarants | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB imports from and exports to the EU | 1,210 | 3,370 | 4,010 |
| UK imports from and exports to non-EU countries | 1,050 | 3,460 | 3,840 |
| Other imports and exports | 700 | 800 | 1,260 |
| Total imports and exports | 2,000 | 4,770 | 5,650 |
Source: Customs declarants and declaration volumes for international trade in 2024 from HM Revenue & Customs
Data notes for Tables 2a to 3c:
Declaration volumes have been rounded to the nearest thousand, and declarant counts have been rounded to the nearest ten. Therefore, the he sum of breakdowns may not sum to totals given.
Declarants may declare across both import and export trade flows, with both EU and non-EU countries, and may use different types of representation. Therefore, declarant counts are not mutually exclusive and will not sum to the unique totals and subtotals provided.
Customs declarations for internal trade movements have been excluded. This includes declarations between NI and GB, as well as trade movements with the Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, and the UK continental shelf.
The ‘Other’ trade partner category contains customs declarations not between GB and the EU, or UK and non-EU countries. This includes declarations which have missing partner country information, or are between NI and the EU. It also includes declarations containing goods traded with multiple partner countries that are within both the EU and non-EU.
Declaration volumes and declarant counts by location of exit and entry
Tables 4a to 5b show the top five locations of entry and exit with declaration counts and number of declarants active through with these locations, by direction of movement and partner country.
The top locations of entry and exit varied by direction of movement and partner country.
The top location of entry for imports and the top location of exit for UK exports to non-EU countries was East Midlands Airport. For GB exports to the EU, Dover and the Eurotunnel were most frequently used.
For GB imports from the EU, 42.4% of cleared declarations were entered through the top five entry locations, a smaller proportion of UK imports from non-EU countries entered through the top five entry locations, at 24.6%.
A higher proportion of declarations exited through the top five exit locations for exports, at 79.1% of GB exports to the EU, and 84.6% of UK exports to non-EU countries.
Table 4a: GB import declarations from the EU and declarants for the top five locations of entry, 2024
| Location of entry | Number of declarations | Number of declarants |
|---|---|---|
| East Midlands Airport | 4,539,000 | 590 |
| London Gateway | 1,940,000 | 450 |
| Dover | 1,725,000 | 1,910 |
| Eurotunnel | 1,517,000 | 1,660 |
| Birmingham Airport | 1,344,000 | 550 |
| All entry locations | 26,114,000 | 2,830 |
Source: Customs declarants and declaration volumes for international trade in 2024 from HM Revenue & Customs
Table 4b: UK import declarations from non-EU countries and declarants for the top five locations of entry, 2024
| Location of entry | Number of declarations | Number of declarants |
|---|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 2,870,000 | 1,510 |
| East Midlands Airport | 2,512,000 | 230 |
| London Stansted Airport | 2,073,000 | 320 |
| Felixstowe | 1,041,000 | 1,480 |
| Southampton | 569,000 | 1,210 |
| All entry locations | 36,831,000 | 2,810 |
Source: Customs declarants and declaration volumes for international trade in 2024 from HM Revenue & Customs
Table 5a: GB export declarations to the EU and declarants for the top five locations of exit, 2024
| Location of exit | Number of declarations | Number of declarants |
|---|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 4,139,000 | 1,800 |
| Holyhead | 2,347,000 | 930 |
| East Midlands Airport | 1,862,000 | 190 |
| Eurotunnel | 1,555,000 | 460 |
| Immingham | 443,000 | 1,060 |
| All exit locations | 13,073,000 | 2,880 |
Source: Customs declarants and declaration volumes for international trade in 2024 from HM Revenue & Customs
Table 5b: UK export declarations to non-EU countries and declarants for the top five locations of exit, 2024
| Location of exit | Number of declarations | Number of declarants |
|---|---|---|
| East Midlands Airport | 2,505,000 | 420 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 2,345,000 | 1,430 |
| London Stansted Airport | 1,428,000 | 570 |
| Southampton | 320,000 | 1,290 |
| London Gateway | 252,000 | 1,400 |
| All exit locations | 8,099,000 | 2,570 |
Source: Customs declarants and declaration volumes for international trade in 2024 from HM Revenue & Customs
Data notes for Tables 4a to 5b:
Declaration volumes have been rounded to the nearest thousand, and declarant counts have been rounded to the nearest ten.
Declarants may declare across both import and export trade flows, with both EU and non-EU countries, and through multiple locations of exit or entry. Therefore, declarant counts are not mutually exclusive and will not sum to the unique totals and subtotals provided.
Customs declarations for internal trade movements have been excluded. This includes declarations between NI and GB, as well as trade movements with the Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, and the UK continental shelf.
The ‘Other’ trade partner category contains customs declarations not between GB and the EU, or UK and non-EU countries. This includes declarations which have missing partner country information, or are between NI and the EU. It also includes declarations containing goods traded with multiple partner countries that are within both the EU and non-EU.
Declaration volumes counts by declaration type
The proportion of declarations by type varied between imports and exports.
Most import declarations submitted and cleared were supplementary declarations. In 2024, supplementary declarations accounted for 82.9% of UK import declarations from non-EU countries and 63.3% of GB import declarations from the EU.
For exports, most declarations submitted and cleared were standard declarations. In 2024, standard declarations accounted for 87.0% of GB export declarations to the EU and 77.0% of UK export declarations to non-EU countries.