Customs declarants and declaration volumes for international trade in 2025: Commentary
Published 14 May 2026
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Introduction
This publication reports on customs declaration volumes which are cleared, and the number of customs declarants submitting declarations to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). This release focuses on those submitted and cleared in the calendar year 2025 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 Great Britain’s trade in goods with the EU since 1 January 2021.
This publication provides different statistics on the number of these customs declarations and the size of the declarant population by calendar month, declarant representation, location of entry/exit, type of declaration, and mode of transport.
For the May 2026 release of these statistics, a time series of annual customs declaration volumes and the size of the declarant population since 2021 are presented in a single place for the first time. This release also includes an additional breakdown for the number of customs declarations by mode of transport in 2025.
Summary statistics
Total number of customs declarations for international trade in goods cleared in 2025
91.3 million These declarations were submitted and cleared by a total of 4,880 declarants
Statistic notes: 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 information.
Change in declaration volumes for international trade in goods cleared in 2025 compared to 2024
increase of 7.9% The number of customs declarations cleared in 2025 increased by 7.9% from 2024, an increase of 6.7 million declarations.
Import declarations as a proportion of the total number of customs declarations for international trade in goods cleared in 2025
77.0% This represents 70.3 million import declarations submitted in 2025 by 3,910 declarants. Furthermore, there were 21.0 million export declarations submitted in 2025 by 2,890 declarants.
The number of cleared customs declarations for international trade in goods between GB and the EU in 2025
40.9 million These 40.9 million declarations between GB and the EU account represent 44.8% of total customs declarations cleared in 2025 and were submitted by 3,440 declarants.
The number of cleared customs declarations for international trade in goods between the UK and non-EU countries in 2025
49.8 million These 49.8 million declarations between the UK and non-EU countries account for 54.6% of total customs declarations cleared in 2025 and were submitted by 3,560 declarants.
The proportion of cleared import customs declarations for international trade in 2025 that were declared by a third party
88.9% Of the whole import declarant population of 3,910 declarants, 88.9% (3,470 declarants) cleared a declaration as a third party (as either direct or indirect representation) on at least one occasion.
Source: Customs declarants and declaration volumes for international trade in 2025 from HMRC
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.
Any customs declarations cleared for internal trade movements have been excluded, such as declarations between Northern Ireland (NI) and GB, as well as internal trade movements within the UK Crown Dependencies (Isle of Man, Jersey, and Guernsey) or the UK continental shelf.
Declaration volumes and declarant counts for 2025
In 2025, there were 70.3 million import customs declarations which were cleared by 3,910 declarants. In 2025, there were 21.0 million export customs declarations which were cleared by 2,890 declarants.
The number of cleared GB import declarations from the EU in 2025 was 28.0 million which were cleared by 2,750 declarants. The number of cleared GB export declarations to the EU in 2025 was 12.9 million which were cleared by 2,250 declarants.
For UK imports from non-EU countries in 2025, 41.7 million declarations were cleared by 2,820 declarants. For UK exports to non-EU countries in 2025, 8.1 million declarations were cleared by 2,190 declarants.
Tables 1a to 1c show declaration volumes and declarant counts for the calendar year 2025, see the data tables for further detail.
Table 1a: Import declarations and declarants by direction of movement and partner regions, 2025
| Direction of movement and partner regions | Declarations | Declarants |
|---|---|---|
| GB imports from the EU | 28,030,000 | 2,750 |
| UK imports from non-EU countries | 41,704,000 | 2,820 |
| Other imports | 522,000 | 740 |
| Total imports | 70,256,000 | 3,910 |
Table 1b: Export declarations and declarants by direction of movement and partner regions, 2025
| Direction of movement and partner regions | Declarations | Declarants |
|---|---|---|
| GB exports to the EU | 12,874,000 | 2,250 |
| UK exports to non-EU countries | 8,146,000 | 2,190 |
| Other exports | 6,000 | 60 |
| Total exports | 21,026,000 | 2,890 |
Table 1c: Import and export declarations and declarants by direction of movement and partner regions, 2025
| Direction of movement and partner regions | Declarations | Declarants |
|---|---|---|
| GB imports from and exports to the EU | 40,904,000 | 3,440 |
| UK imports from and exports to non-EU countries | 49,850,000 | 3,560 |
| Other imports and exports | 528,000 | 760 |
| Total imports and exports | 91,282,000 | 4,880 |
Source: Customs declarants and declaration volumes for international trade in 2025 from HMRC
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.
Any customs declarations cleared for internal trade movements have been excluded, such as declarations between NI and GB, as well as internal trade movements within the UK Crown Dependencies (Isle of Man, Jersey, and Guernsey) or 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 includes declarations which have missing partner country information or have a declared partner country where it is unknown whether it is in the EU or not. The ‘Other’ category also includes declarations between NI and the EU, as well as different goods on a single declaration are traded with multiple partner countries that are within both the EU and non-EU.
Declaration volumes and declarant counts in 2025 compared to 2024
This publication for the first time is presenting declaration volumes and declarant counts over a time series in one single place. Overall declaration volumes and declarant counts, also split out by direction of movement and partner regions, are available since 2021 in the accompanying data tables.
Overall cleared customs declaration volumes have gone from 84.6 million in 2024 to 91.3 million in 2025, an increase of 6.7 million declarations (an increase of 7.9%).
The number of cleared import customs declarations have gone from 63.3 million in 2024 to 70.3 million in 2025, an increase of 6.9 million declarations (an increase of 10.9%). In contrast, the number of cleared export customs declarations have gone from 21.3 million in 2024 to 21.0 million in 2025, a decrease of 0.2 million declarations (a decrease of 1.1%).
The number of cleared customs declarations between GB and the EU have gone from 39.2 million in 2024 to 40.9 million in 2025, an increase of 1.7 million declarations (an increase of 4.4%). The number of cleared customs declarations between the UK and non-EU countries have gone from 44.9 million in 2024 to 49.8 million in 2025, an increase of 4.9 million declarations (an increase of 10.9%).
While the number of cleared customs declarations has increased between 2024 and 2025, the total number of declarants has decreased between 2024 and 2025. The total number of declarants has gone from 5,650 in 2024 to 4,880 in 2025, a decrease of 780 declarants (a decrease of 13.7%).
The number of declarants who cleared import customs declarations has gone from 4,140 in 2024 to 3,910 in 2025, a decrease of 230 declarants (a decrease of 5.6%). The number of declarants who cleared export customs declarations has gone from 3,670 in 2024 to 2,890 in 2025, a decrease of 780 declarants (a decrease of 21.3%).
The number of declarants who cleared customs declarations between GB and the EU has gone from 4,010 in 2024 to 3,440 in 2025, a decrease of 570 declarants (a decrease of 14.3%). The number of declarants who cleared customs declarations between the UK and non-EU countries has gone from 3,840 in 2024 to 3,560 in 2025, a decrease of 280 declarants (a decrease of 7.2%).
Tables 2a to 2c show declaration volumes for the calendar year 2025 in comparison to 2024, see the data tables for further detail and comparisons with other years going back to 2021.
Table 2a: Import declarations by direction of movement and partner regions, 2025 compared to 2024
| Direction of movement and partner region | Number of declarations in 2025 | Number of declarations in 2024 | Change in 2025 from 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB imports from the EU | 28,030,000 | 26,114,000 | +1,916,000 |
| UK imports from non-EU countries | 41,704,000 | 36,831,000 | +4,873,000 |
| Other imports | 522,000 | 386,000 | +136,000 |
| Total imports | 70,256,000 | 63,331,000 | +6,925,000 |
Table 2b: Export declarations by direction of movement and partner regions, 2025 compared to 2024
| Direction of movement and partner regions | Number of declarations in 2025 | Number of declarations in 2024 | Change in 2025 from 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB exports to the EU | 12,874,000 | 13,073,000 | -199,000 |
| UK exports to non-EU countries | 8,146,000 | 8,099,000 | +46,000 |
| Other exports | 6,000 | 87,000 | -81,000 |
| Total exports | 21,026,000 | 21,260,000 | -234,000 |
Table 2c: Import and export declarations by direction of movement and partner regions, 2025 compared to 2024
| Direction of movement and partner regions | Number of declarations in 2025 | Number of declarations in 2024 | Change in 2025 from 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB imports from and exports to the EU | 40,904,000 | 39,187,000 | +1,717,000 |
| UK imports from and exports to non-EU countries | 49,850,000 | 44,930,000 | +4,919,000 |
| Other imports and exports | 528,000 | 473,000 | +55,000 |
| Total imports and exports | 91,282,000 | 84,591,000 | +6,691,000 |
Tables 3a to 3c show declarant counts for the calendar year 2025 in comparison to 2024, see the data tables for further detail and comparisons with other years going back to 2021.
Table 3a: Import declarants by direction of movement and partner regions, 2025 compared to 2024
| Direction of movement and partner regions | Number of declarants in 2025 | Number of declarants in 2024 | Change in 2025 from 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB imports from the EU | 2,750 | 2,830 | -80 |
| UK imports from non-EU countries | 2,820 | 2,810 | 0 |
| Other imports | 740 | 1,050 | -300 |
| Total imports | 3,910 | 4,140 | -230 |
Table 3b: Export declarants by direction of movement and partner regions, 2025 compared to 2024
| Direction of movement and partner regions | Number of declarants in 2025 | Number of declarants in 2024 | Change in 2025 from 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB exports to the EU | 2,250 | 2,880 | -640 |
| UK exports to non-EU countries | 2,190 | 2,570 | -370 |
| Other exports | 60 | 370 | -310 |
| Total exports | 2,890 | 3,670 | -780 |
Table 3c: Import and export declarants by direction of movement and partner regions, 2025 compared to 2024
| Direction of movement and partner regions | Number of declarants in 2025 | Number of declarants in 2024 | Change in 2025 from 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB imports from and exports to the EU | 3,440 | 4,010 | -570 |
| UK imports from and exports to non-EU countries | 3,560 | 3,840 | -280 |
| Other imports and exports | 760 | 1,260 | -500 |
| Total imports and exports | 4,880 | 5,650 | -780 |
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 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.
Any customs declarations cleared for internal trade movements have been excluded, such as declarations between NI and GB, as well as internal trade movements within the UK Crown Dependencies (Isle of Man, Jersey, and Guernsey) or 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 includes declarations which have missing partner country information or have a declared partner country where it is unknown whether it is in the EU or not. The ‘Other’ category also includes declarations between NI and the EU, as well as different goods on a single declaration are traded with multiple partner countries that are within both the EU and non-EU.
Declaration volumes and declarant counts by type of representation
In 2025, most cleared customs declarations were intermediated. Out of all 91.3 million declarations cleared in 2025, 74.1 million declarations (81.1%) were declared by a third party. Consequently, 17.2 million declarations (18.9%) of all declarations cleared in 2025 were self-declared by the trader.
For the 70.3 million import customs declarations cleared in 2025, 54.3 million declarations (77.3%) were declared by a third party, with 16.0 million declarations (22.7%) being self-declared by the trader. For the 21.0 million export customs declarations cleared in 2025, 19.8 million declarations (94.0%) were declared by a third party, with 1.3 million declarations (6.0%) being self-declared by the trader.
In 2025, most declarants acted as third-party representatives on at least one occasion. Out of all 4,880 declarants who cleared declarations in 2025, 4,210 (86.4%) of these declarants acted as a third party on at least one occasion.
For the 3,910 declarants who cleared import declarations in 2025, 3,470 (88.9%) of these declarants acted as a third party on at least one occasion. For the 2,890 declarants who cleared export declarations in 2025, 2,540 (88.0%) of these declarants acted as a third party on at least one occasion.
The percentage of declarants that cleared declarations in 2025 was slightly higher for international trade between the UK and non-EU countries than it was for international trade between the GB and the EU. For the 3,560 declarants who cleared a declaration between the UK and non-EU countries in 2025, 3,210 (90.1%) of these declarants acted as a third party on at least one occasion. This compares with the 3,440 declarants who cleared a declaration between GB and the EU in 2025, where 2,920 (84.8%) of these declarants acted as a third party on at least one occasion.
Tables 4a to 4c show how the number of declarations varied between the different types of representation, direction of movement and partner regions. Please see the data tables for further detail.
Table 4a: Import declarations by direction of movement, partner regions, and type of representation, 2025
| Direction of movement and partner regions | Declared by the trader | Declared by a third party | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB imports from the EU | 3,945,000 | 24,085,000 | 28,030,000 |
| UK imports from non-EU countries | 11,995,000 | 29,710,000 | 41,704,000 |
| Other imports | 16,000 | 506,000 | 522,000 |
| Total imports | 15,956,000 | 54,300,000 | 70,256,000 |
Table 4b: Export declarations by direction of movement, partner regions, and type of representation, 2025
| Direction of movement and partner regions | Declared by the trader | Declared by a third party | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB exports to the EU | 594,000 | 12,280,000 | 12,874,000 |
| UK exports to non-EU countries | 669,000 | 7,477,000 | 8,146,000 |
| Other exports | Less than 1,000 | 5,000 | 6,000 |
| Total exports | 1,264,000 | 19,762,000 | 21,026,000 |
Table 4c: Import and export declarations by direction of movement, partner regions, and type of representation, 2025
| Direction of movement and partner regions | Declared by the trader | Declared by a third party | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB imports from and exports to the EU | 4,539,000 | 36,365,000 | 40,904,000 |
| UK imports from and exports to non-EU countries | 12,664,000 | 37,186,000 | 49,850,000 |
| Other imports and exports | 17,000 | 511,000 | 528,000 |
| Total imports and exports | 17,220,000 | 74,062,000 | 91,282,000 |
Source: Customs declarants and declaration volumes for international trade in 2025 from HMRC
Tables 5a to 5c show how the number of declarants varied between the different types of representation, direction of movement and partner regions. Please see the data tables for further detail.
Table 5a: Import declarants by direction of movement, partner regions, and type of representation, 2025
| Direction of movement and partner regions | Self-declaring traders | Third party declarants | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB imports from the EU | 600 | 2,410 | 2,750 |
| UK imports from non-EU countries | 500 | 2,620 | 2,820 |
| Other imports | 430 | 440 | 740 |
| Total imports | 1,000 | 3,470 | 3,910 |
Table 5b: Export declarants by direction of movement, partner regions, and type of representation, 2025
| Direction of movement and partner regions | Self-declaring traders | Third party declarants | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB exports to the EU | 420 | 1,970 | 2,250 |
| UK exports to non-EU countries | 480 | 1,980 | 2,190 |
| Other exports | Less than 10 | 50 | 60 |
| Total exports | 680 | 2,540 | 2,890 |
Table 5c: Import and export declarants by direction of movement, partner regions, and type of representation, 2025
| Direction of movement and partner regions | Self-declaring traders | Third party declarants | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB imports from and exports to the EU | 890 | 2,920 | 3,440 |
| UK imports from and exports to non-EU countries | 850 | 3,210 | 3,560 |
| Other imports and exports | 430 | 460 | 760 |
| Total imports and exports | 1,460 | 4,210 | 4,880 |
Source: Customs declarants and declaration volumes for international trade in 2025 from HMRC
Data notes for Tables 4a to 5c:
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, 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.
Any customs declarations cleared for internal trade movements have been excluded, such as declarations between NI and GB, as well as internal trade movements within the UK Crown Dependencies (Isle of Man, Jersey, and Guernsey) or 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 includes declarations which have missing partner country information or have a declared partner country where it is unknown whether it is in the EU or not. The ‘Other’ category also includes declarations between NI and the EU, as well as different goods on a single declaration are 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
The top location of entry for cleared import declarations for international trade in goods to GB from the EU in 2025 was East Midlands Airport (4.4 million declarations, 15.8% of all import declarations to GB from the EU). The top location of entry for cleared import declarations for international trade in goods to the UK from non-EU countries in 2025 was London Heathrow Airport (3.1 million declarations, 7.4% of all import declarations to the UK from non-EU countries).
The top location of exit for cleared export declarations for international trade in goods from GB to the EU in 2025 was ‘Dover/Eurotunnel’ (4.4 million declarations, 34.5% of all export declarations to the EU). The top location of exit for cleared export declarations for international trade in goods from the UK to non-EU countries in 2025 was East Midlands Airport (2.9 million declarations, 35.3% of all export declarations to non-EU countries).
Tables 6a to 6d show the top 5 locations of entry and exit with declaration counts and number of declarants active through with these locations, by direction of movement and partner region. Please see the data tables for further detail and the top 50 locations for each of these 4 flows.
Table 6a: GB import declarations and declarants to GB from the EU for the top 5 locations of entry, 2025
| Location of entry | Number of import declarations | Number of declarants |
|---|---|---|
| East Midlands Airport | 4,425,000 | 590 |
| London Gateway | 2,045,000 | 450 |
| Birmingham Airport | 1,745,000 | 590 |
| Dover | 1,716,000 | 1,860 |
| London Stansted Airport | 1,454,000 | 590 |
| All entry locations | 28,030,000 | 2,750 |
Table 6b: UK import declarations and declarants to the UK from non-EU countries for the top 5 locations of entry, 2025
| Location of entry | Number of import declarations | Number of declarants |
|---|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 3,094,000 | 1,590 |
| East Midlands Airport | 2,556,000 | 270 |
| London Stansted Airport | 1,948,000 | 340 |
| Felixstowe | 961,000 | 1,430 |
| Southampton | 538,000 | 1,170 |
| All entry locations | 41,704,000 | 2,820 |
Source: Customs declarants and declaration volumes for international trade in 2025 from HMRC
Table 6c: GB export declarations and declarants from GB to the EU for the top 5 locations of exit, 2025
| Location of exit | Number of export declarations | Number of declarants |
|---|---|---|
| Dover/Eurotunnel | 4,442,000 | 1,400 |
| Holyhead | 2,499,000 | 880 |
| East Midlands Airport | 1,758,000 | 130 |
| Eurotunnel | 1,363,000 | 420 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 413,000 | 590 |
| All exit locations | 12,874,000 | 2,250 |
Table 6d: UK export declarations and declarants from the UK to non-EU countries for the top 5 locations of exit, 2025
| Location of exit | Number of export declarations | Number of declarants |
|---|---|---|
| East Midlands Airport | 2,875,000 | 160 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 2,581,000 | 1,210 |
| London Stansted Airport | 781,000 | 210 |
| Southampton | 311,000 | 1,170 |
| London Gateway | 246,000 | 1,270 |
| All exit locations | 8,146,000 | 2,190 |
Source: Customs declarants and declaration volumes for international trade in 2025 from HMRC
Data notes for Tables 6a to 6d:
The port location ‘Dover/Eurotunnel’ is used in pre-lodged declarations where the location entry or exit (either Dover or the Eurotunnel) was not determined at time of submission.
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.
Any customs declarations cleared for internal trade movements have been excluded, such as declarations between NI and GB, as well as internal trade movements within the UK Crown Dependencies (Isle of Man, Jersey, and Guernsey) or the UK continental shelf.
Declaration volumes counts by declaration type
Most import declarations cleared in 2025 were supplementary declarations. There were 53.1 million supplementary declarations in 2025, accounting for 75.5% of all cleared customs import declarations. There were also 15.1 million standard import declarations (accounting for 21.5% of all import declarations), 1.5 million simplified frontier declarations (SFD) for imports (accounting for 2.1% of all import declarations), and 0.6 million import customs clearance requests (C21s) (accounting for 0.8% of all import declarations).
Most export declarations cleared in 2025 were standard declarations. There were 17.5 million supplementary declarations in 2025, accounting for 83.3% of all cleared customs import declarations. There were also 1.7 million supplementary export declarations (accounting for 8.1% of all export declarations), 1.4 million simplified frontier declarations (SFD) for exports (accounting for 6.7% of all export declarations), and 0.4 million export customs clearance requests (C21s) (accounting for 1.9% of all export declarations).
Please see the data tables for further detail on splits between GB and the EU and between the UK and non-EU countries.
Declaration volumes by mode of transport
This publication for the first time is presenting declaration volumes by mode of transport.
The most declared mode of transport on customs import declarations cleared in 2025 was using maritime (sea) transport which accounted for 35.7 million import declarations (50.8% of all import declarations). The second most declared mode of transport was air transport which accounted for 19.2 million import declarations (27.4% of all import declarations), followed by road transport which accounted for 8.1 million import declarations (11.5% of all import declarations).
The most declared mode of transport on customs export declarations cleared in 2025 was using air transport which accounted for 9.4 million export declarations (44.9% of all export declarations). The second most declared mode of transport was roll-on-roll-off (RoRo) which accounted for 8.9 million export declarations (42.2% of all export declarations), followed by maritime (sea) transport which accounted for 1.8 million export declarations (8.3% of all export declarations).
Please see the data tables for further modes of transport not mentioned here, as well as splits between GB and the EU and between the UK and non-EU countries.